Bamba, To presume is to suppose something to be true without certainty. I did not think that you've already believed Ebou Jallow's revealations. No where did I qualify that. Hence the misunderstanding. Thanks for the comment, compelling me to clarify. Bye. Cherno Baba Jallow Detroit, MI >From: Bamba Laye <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: Bamba Laye <[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: Ebou Jallows' revelations >Date: Mon, 27 Dec 1999 09:33:08 -0600 > >Cherno, >Thanks for the effort in clarifying. Mr. Manneh has said most of what I was >going to write here, but one thing I would like to get out of the way is >your presumption of my position in the whole affair: >"Presumably, you've already made up your mind that Jallow's revealations >are >true or are verifiable by his own narration of events. " > Cherno, sorry if I sound blunt, but it is damned ludicrous for you to >think that I believe Ebous' story just because I challenged Observers' >decision not to publish it! >No wonder you came up with that decision. Is this how you view critics as a >competent professional journalists? When I first read Ebon writings, I had >my reservations like many have said in this forum, he was part of them. Why >did he wait so long? So, when you mentioned that he did indeed write a >similar story few years earlier, I had to reposition my thoughts about the >issue, not necessarily accept the story as the truth. What I am trying >emphasize is that the people have the right to read his side of the story >at a time when they are dying to know, whether they will buy it or not >should be left for them to decide. > I may not be familiar with journalistic ethics but I do believe that >if a letter is sent to a paper about an issue that had whole country at >it's laurels and the source of the letter can be substantiated as you did, >I do not see why you can't get away with publishing such a letter by >clearly quoting the source if you have pledged to serve the people. Of >course I am well aware of the menace you could have gone through by >publishing such a letter, but the truth is, you did write more >controversial issues at the time and you survived it! > >Perhaps we should start scrutinizing the role of the press during the >transition period as some of us are doing with PDOIS. I bet a lot of >anomalies would be unfolded. > >Stay safe my brother. > >Abdoulie A. Jallow > >"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter". > - Dr. M. L. King Jr. > -----Original Message----- > From: Dave Manneh <[log in to unmask]> > To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]> > Date: Monday, December 27, 1999 6:42 AM > Subject: Re: Ebou Jallows' revelations > > > Mr Cherno Jallow, > You wrote:- > <<And we couldn't either at the time. Better still, Jallow's >allegations are one-sided, > a narration of events, he indicated to have been spoon-fed to him by >those he > alleged to have "killed" Koro.>> > If Ebou's allegation/revelations are so ridiculous, and >unsubstantiable rubbish, > why then did the Jammeh regime seemed it fitting to ban VoiceOut? > > I am no journalist, and have no knowledge of the ethics of this very >important and > noble profession, but I was, and still am with the notion that if a >story is printed in > paper/media, and is then refuted by one party or another, then what >that party has > to do is to counter the claim with proof, in other word prove it's >false. > > Why were the involved parties not given these opportunities in this >case? > > Why didn't you contact the "other party" and challenge them to refute >Ebou's > allegations/revelations? > > Please forgive me here, if am out of my depths here, as I stated >earlier on > am not much versed in journalistic ethics and practices? But one thing >which > comes out crystal clear to me is that your paper's decision not to >print > "the one-sided story" is truly "amazing" to say the least. > It's a bit mind-buggling, in'it? > > All the best > Mr Manneh > chernob jallow wrote: > > Bamba, > I agree with your feelings. It's sad that Ebou Jallow's >allegations couldn't > get through to the Ceesay family or the Gambian people. We all >would have > loved to paste his allegations on our newspapers, but provided >they could be > substantiated by him or by us, in our own investigations. Jallow >was already > in the US;there was no way he could be sought to confirm in a >court of law, > the validity of his allegations. And we couldn't either at the >time. Better > still, Jallow's allegations are one-sided, a narration of events, >he > indicated to have been spoon-fed to him by those he alleged to >have "killed" > Koro. Yes, it would have been nice to the Ceesay family or the >Gambian > public, to have been told the "circumstances surrounding Koro's >death" > according to Ebou Jallow. But what if Jallow's allegations turned >out false? > > Presumably, you've already made up your mind that Jallow's >revealations are > true or are verifiable by his own narration of events. Personally, >I think > that in as much as Jallow's allegations do give a glint of >information from > within, about Koro's death, they, however, should be viewed >carefully. They > may be true or false, but only a competent court of law or a >commission of > inquiry can authenticate them. And those he alleges to have >"killed" Koro > are "innocent" until proven guilty in a court of law or by a >competent > Coroner's inquest. So to publish his allegations, which were >one-sided, > unsubstantiated, unverifiable at the time, would have been legally >costly, > if not, dangerous to a newspaper's existence at the time. > > Recently, Jallow used the "Voiceout" column of the Gambianet to >spread his > allegations. Now, his information is domestic consumption in The >Gambia. You > think that if the Observer had carried his allegations, that >probably would > have "compelled others with some knowledge of what happened to >come forward > with their own version?" I doubt it. Quite recently, Local >Government > Minister Yankuba Touray,whom Jallow alleges to have taken part in >Koro's > death, villified the former AFPRC spokesman, rather than give his >version of > the story pertaining to Jallow's allegations. Following Jallow's >information > on Voiceout, the proprietors of Gambianet were summoned to the >NIA, and > subsequently, Voiceout disappeared from Gambianet. Rather than >speak on > Jallow's allegations and present their own version of the story, >Jallow's > alleged culprits simply resorted to authoritarianism by clamping >down on > Gambianet. Could a similar fate have happened to any Gambian >newspaper which > published Jallow's allegations, especially if there were no >substantiation > efforts on the part of the newspapers, and during those dark, lean >days of > press intimidation? > > Like I said before, newspapers have to be very careful not to >publish > information they cannot substantiate when asked, in court, or by >national > public opinion. In as much as we would have loved to render >service to the > Gambian people by publishing Jallow's letter, we were equally >restrained by > our bounden duty to publish something verifiable by us or the >source of the > allegations. > > I, personally, have written a lot in taking the AFPRC government >to task for > foot-dragging on any investigations into Koro's mysterious death. >I > interviewed the Ceesay family,and wrote a scathing column on the >AFPRC's > false pretences of pain and misery over Koro's death, when they're >unwilling > or unable to mount an inquiry into the late Finance Minister's >mysterious > death. > > Thanks for your comments. Bye. > > Cherno Baba Jallow > Detroit, MI > > >From: Bamba Laye <[log in to unmask]> > >Reply-To: Bamba Laye <[log in to unmask]> > >To: [log in to unmask] > >Subject: Ebou Jallows' revelations > >Date: Sun, 26 Dec 1999 20:15:00 -0600 > > > >Cherno, > >You wrote: > >"Upon receipt of Jallow's letter, Daily Observer's editorial >board sat down > >to determine the publishability of Jallow's contents on KOro's >death. We > >agreed that they were serious allegations concerning senior >members of the > >Ruling Council. And since there was no way to validate Jallow's > >allegations, > >we decided not to publish them, but only to put out an 'overview' >story on > >Jallow's resignation letter." > > > >This is quite an interesting revelation from your end Bro. I am >curious > >(and I am sure many on the list are) to know why your editorial >board > >decided to discard Ebous' revelations at a time when it could >have served > >justice in giving Koros' family and the entire Gambia an idea of >the actual > >circumstances surrounding Koros' death. Don't you think that >publishing the > >letter would have compelled others with some knowledge of what >happened to > >come forward with their own version? Don't you feel that you've >done some > >disservice to the people by not publishing the letter or atleast >hinting at > >why you think the letter should not be published? > >I am also interested in knowing if Foroyaa had a copy of this >letter and > >what have been done about it with regards to their own >investigation into > >the matter? I will be glad if Mr. Sallah could clarify this for >me. > > > >Have a great week and stay safe. > > > >Abdoulie A. Jallow > > > >"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things >that matter". > > - Dr. M. L. King Jr. > > ______________________________________________________ > Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com > > >---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the >Gambia-L > Web interface at: >http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html > > >---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------------