Gambian minister’s claim baseless, lie, says MFWA

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Prof. Kwame Karikari, the Executive Director of Accra-ba sed Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has reacted to Gambia's Attorney General/Justice Minister's recent claims over a disappeared journalist - dismissing it as "a lie and baseless" meant "to throw dust in the eyes of people" who do not know much about the sub-regional bloc, Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS) and its mechanism.

In an exclusive interview with PANA here, Kwame denounced the minister's claims as unfounded and misleading.

"The Gambian Attorney General knows what she says is baseless and she said it for the consumption of those who do not know ECOWAS mechanism and how it operates. "

"There is no way to overturn the court's decision. If she is a trained/qualified lawyer she knows what she is saying is a lie," Kwame insisted.

"Unless if the Gambian government is not going around ECOWAS leaders to ask them to throw away the treaty that they signed in setting up the court. If that is what the minister means by 'political process', well it is a dictatorship they can go to any length.

"It is also possible that the Attorney General is throwing dust in the eyes of Gambians by telling them 'we don't give a damn to any court' or perhaps she is confusing her own ignorant boss, President Yahya Jammeh," the MFWA stated.

Gambia's Attorney General, Mrs. Marie Saine recently told her country’s parliament that disappeared journalist, Chief Ebrima Manneh was not in government custody.

“As far as my office is concerned, the family members of Chief Manneh and their cohorts, did not take legal action against the government in the High Court in accordance with the law and procedure against the alleged unlawful detention of Chief Ebrimah Manneh by agents of the state security apparatus.

"The ECOWAS Court was created by treaty and is subject to application of certain rules and procedure, one of which is the exhaustion of local remedies,” the minister argued, adding, "we have set in motion a political process to set aside the court's decision."
 

Dakar - 25/04/2009

Pana
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