The Police And The Two Journalists

It is a trite law that he who asserts must prove, that Justice delay is Justicedined, that Justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done: Abubacarr Saidykhan/Photo:Facebook

By Abubacarr Saidykhan

My Editors: “As we have said earlier, to take the utmost duty upon our self in keeping you updated on all the events and new developments in relation to our case that is currently reported to be under investigation by the Police of the Interpol Department in Banjul, I am quite humble in my submission to inform you that the case is still suffering setbacks as they (the Police) are not telling us anything meaningful in the determination of our fate.

Both of us on 8^th October 2012, reported at the Police Headquarters in the morning to see what actually the police really want to do with our case, but all we are told is that the Interpol officer in charge of our case Mr. Sillah and one Inspector Sulayman Gaye, are both currently attending a security training and shall be available in the next couple of days. 

We have asked to know the position of our case as it is not always easy to be traveling to Banjul every week and would not be told anything legal or meaningful? The Police in response to this question said both the accused persons must report to the station on Friday 12^th of October 2012.

It is a trite law that he who asserts must prove, that Justice delay is Justice dined, that Justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done. The police seem to be weak in handling the case of the two Journalists. Would it be safe for us to say that they lack material evidence to prosecute our case which is making them to prefer delaying Justice? 

What is the legal connectivity in applying for a permit and be later slap with criminal charges? What proof does the Police had in alleging us to resemble felons? Is this not going down in history as a greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our Nation? Would it not be correct for the police to stop subjecting the citizens of our nation in the flames of wildering injustice? Is this not a manacle of segregation and a chain of discrimination meted by the Police?

We will and shall never allow to be living in exile in our own land, and it is quite evident that we are not the likes that beg for mercy. We will rather prefer to die than to reduce ourselves to that level.    

We are also ready to control our precious freedom back on our palm while having in mind the greatest respect to the laws of our land, but not losing the fact that adhering and being obedient to the laws of our land, does not mean in any way that the Police can take or use that as a pretext in denying us our God given or our Fundamental Human Rights as it is clearly stipulated in Section 17 of the 1997 Constitution of the Republic of the Gambia. 

It is quite obvious, that we have now shown enough compliance by reporting to the Police Station for a period of one Month two days, without being told by the authorities as to how the case shall be finally handled. 

In any Criminal case, the burden of proof lies on the shoulders of the prosecution and let it be concretely realized by the Police especially those working at the Interpol Department, that this case is not a civil case where the court is normally interested in the balance of probability. Enough to the cock and bull stories that we are always confronted with and let Justice be done to our case. We are tired of going and coming.

In America, Presidents rule for four years, but Journalist rule for ever. Barrack Hussein Obama once wrote in his book entitled The Audacity of Hope that "Constitution is not static, and should be read from the context of an ever changing World."

The author, freelance journalist Abubacarr Saidykhan and his colleague Babucarr Ceesay, a Vice President of the Gambia Press Union, are facing criminal charges for simply requesting for a permit to hold peaceful demonstration against the Gambia Government’s killing of nine death row prisoners in August 2012. They are yet to appear before a court.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of  The-North-Bank-Evening-Standard