Gam Creative Network

Man Sentenced To 3 Years For Stealing A Motorbike

By Alieu Gassama

Principal Magistrate Muhammed Krubally of Banjul recently sentenced one Mamadou Salieu Kandeh for stealing a motorbike after he confesses to the police.
During the delivery of the judgment, Principal Magistrate Krubally narrated the history of the case before handing down his verdict and accordingly sentenced him to three years in prison.

The convict Mamadou Salieu Kandeh on the 12th December 2022 at Spalding street in Banjul around 1800 hours in the evening when the complainant Muhammed Kabba, packed his motorbike at its usual parking place opposite his compound.

However the following day the complainant Muhammed Kabba woke up around 6 am and found out that his motorbike was stolen. The complainant rushed to Crab Island to report where the said matter was forwarded to the serious crimes Unit headquarters of the police for investigation.

Anti-corruption bill protects whistle-blowers

By Alieu Gassama

The Gambia Anti-Corruption Bill has provided the much-anticipated protection for whistle-blowers. The country has no or very limited whistle-blower protection. This has prompted calls from civil society organizations especially Gambia Participates to put pressure on the government to implement comprehensive whistle-blower protection laws. Over the years, few civil servants who were bold enough to speak out were either dismissed, suspended, or redeployed. Recently, a staff of the Gambia International Airlines was dismissed for speaking out against corruption while three staff of the Department of Agriculture were also reportedly dismissed for the same reason.

According to the Anti-Corruption Bill currently under review at the National Assembly, if any book, paper or other document, or material which is given in evidence or liable to inspection in any proceedings in any court, the giver of such documents should be protected from discovery. However, according to the bill, a person who gives the information knowing it to be false commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine of one D100, 000 or imprisonment for two years.

On the protection of witnesses, experts and victims, the bill provides that the commission shall ensure the effective protection from potential retaliation or intimidation for witnesses, experts and victims who give testimony concerning offenses relating to corruption and, as appropriate, for their relatives and other persons close to them.
The Gambia still has in its laws an Official Secrets Act. The Act was originally introduced in 1922 by the British Colonial administration to prevent ‘unauthorized disclosure’ of official documents and information.

The law was amended in April 2008 and it became illegal to publish or communicate “any secret official code, word, sketch, plan, article, note or other document” which may be useful to an enemy. The Jammeh government also increased the penalties for the offenses of disclosure of official information and set a minimum sentence of 30 years and a maximum term of life imprisonment.

Journalists reporting on security issues run the risk of contravening the Official Secrets Act without any criminal intention on their part. Furthermore, the Public Security Act can be invoked to compel journalists to reveal their sources or face a heavy penalty or jail time.

ABUBAKARR SULEIMAN JENG APPOINTED NEW NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER

By: Alieu Gassama

President Adama Barrow has appointed Abubakarr Suleiman Jeng as his new National Security Adviser. Mr. Jeng, who is a career police officer with extensive professional experience at home and abroad, replaces Momodou Badjie who served in the position for the past five years or so.

Jeng also served in various capacities including Commissioner of Administration of The Gambia Police Force; Senior Security Operations Officer, United Nations (UN) Assistant Mission in Somalia; Deputy Security Adviser for Administration and Support of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operations in Darfur; Special Assistant to the United Nations Police Commissioner in Liberia; Chief of Staff, UN Police Component in Liberia; Team Leader for the Darfur-related transitional planning activities at the UN Department of Peace-Keeping Operations in New York and Deputy Security Adviser, Israeli Occupied Palestinian Territory and Jerusalem.

He is a graduate of the National Academy of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the United States of America, Mr. Jeng additionally holds an MSc Degree in Crisis/Disaster Management from Cranfield University, United Kingdom.

He equally underwent intensive training in Technical Studies, Criminal Investigation, Disaster Management, Police Command, and Security Crisis Management in The Gambia, Senegal, Nigeria, Ghana, and Norway