Newspaper messenger’s lawyer calls for acquittal on sedition charge

Bai Mass Kah (Photo Credit: Foroyaa)

A lawyer for a messenger at Foroyaa newspaper has on Wednesday urged the Kanifing Magistrates Court to acquit and discharge Mass Kah who is standing trial on a charge of sedition.
 

On January 29, defence counsel Lamin S. Camara filed a no-case-submission to the Court. 

He said there is no need to call a defence witness because the accused is charge under the criminal laws of The Gambia – to which the prosecution has failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.

Jizzle – the Food is Ready

Photo: Saikou Jammeh/Facebook

All roads lead to Alliance Française today – Friday - as Jizzle braces up to seize the stage with a bang. 

The young Gambian sensational singer is set to launch his first music collection – a mix tape – of 14 tracks.

  

“I want to tell my fans that all the songs I have been cooking are well cooked and served,” the 19-year-old says. “I say food is ready because in the music industry we artists say the studio is the kitchen.”

Jizzle – officially known as Jerreh Jallow - has started music in his early teens. He’s released his debut single in 2010. 

BAJ coordinator attends Kenya climate change training

BAJ Coordinator, Abdou Rahman Sallah (Photo: Mansa Banko)

The national coordinator of Biodiversity Action Journalists (BAJ Gambia), Abdou Rahman Sallah, left for Kenya on January 25 to take part in a two weeks training on Climate Change.

Mr Sallah, an environmental journalist, selected from a pool of applicants by the organisers, the Kenya-based Youth Encounter on Sustainability (YES) to partake  in the January 28–February 14 climate change course.

The two weeks intensive course is facilitate by myclimate, a Swiss non-profit foundation together with ACTIS, a spin-off organisation of ETH Zürich, in cooperation with UNEP, and the Alliance for Global Sustainability (AGS) – an environmental research partnership between the ETH Zürich, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the University of Tokyo (UT) and the Chalmers Technical University in Göteborg, Sweden.

GBoS: Gambia government should endeavour to meet costs of data

The bureau’s annual budget have not been adequate for the implementation of its planned activities for the year 2012 (Photo Credit: GBoS)

MC Baatiz releases ‘set-setal’ video

MC Baatiz told TNBES on Tuesday that "it is important to get this public awareness-raising audio and video on the FM stations and the TV" (Photo: MC Baatiz/Facebook)

Gambia pushed to CAF preliminary after dismal performance

Gambia end 2013 with an insignificant leap for the Scorpions in December’s FIFA Coca-Cola World Rankings – moving three places up, to 131 in the world and one place up, to 39 in Africa (Photo Credit: M.S.Joof/TNBES/June 2013)

Gambia U20 to play West African rivals Liberia for Senegal championship

Both the U-17 Baby Scorpions and the U-20 Darling Scorpions (pic) were deprived of participation in international competition in 2012/2013 over lack of money (Photo taken from Afrikan Soccer)

BAJ social secretary among 2014 'Earth Hour champions'

Cropped image of Mamadou Edrisa Njie at the signing of a memorandum of understanding between GYIN and Visaca Apex (Photo Credit: Mansa Banko)

The Social Secretary of Biodiversity Action Journalists (BAJ-The Gambia), Mamadou Edrisa Njie, is taking part in this year’s Earth Hour, a two months project set out to empower 14 local communities in the West Africa.

The Earth Hour Walk-to-Mali will engage 12 Earth Hour Champions that will embark on a 3,404km round road trip from Nigeria to Mali from January 18 to March 15, 2014.

Set in motion by the Earth Hour Team in Nigeria and the Earth Hour Global Team, the Walk-to-Mali initiative was born out of the “I Will If You Will Campaign” of the Earth Hour at the beginning of 2013.

Court reschedules trial of two journalists in Gambia

The Banjul Magistrates Court on Tuesday rescheduled the trial of Musa S. Sheriff, Editor-In-Chief of The Voice newspaper and Sainey MK Marenah, a freelance journalist.

Both have pleaded not guilty to charges of “conspiracy” and “publication of false news” brought against them by the police over a political defections article published by The Voice on December 6, 2013.

They are expected to reappear in court on February 4, 2014 at 12 pm.

THE GAMBIA: Two journalists deny conspiracy, false news charges

Two journalists in The Gambia have pleaded not guilty to charges of “conspiracy to commit felony” and “publication of false news” brought against them by state authorities on Thursday.
 

With three days of detention, Musa S. Sheriff, Publisher and Editor-In-Chief of The Voice newspaper and freelance journalist Sainey M.K. Marenah were arraigned at the Banjul Magistrates’ Court on 16 January.

They have been granted bail in the sum of D20, 000 (about $500) each with one Gambian surety.

Statements issued by media rights groups on the detention of two journalists in The Gambia

• Journalist reporting on refugee issues detained in the Gambia

• The Gambia: Two journalists facing prosecution for conspiracy 

• TWO Gambian journalists unlawfully detained  

• Gambian journalists charged with giving false information

• GPU Statement on Musa Sherrif and Sainey Marenah

Gambia’s legislature endorse ‘emergency electricity programme’

The Gambia’s National Assembly has today (Wednesday) endorsed a grant of US$31.9M ‘emergency electric power supply programme’ meant for rehabilitation and maintenance of diesel generators and auxiliary equipment, fuel and lubricant procurement, and capacity building support to project management. 

The programme will also address payment preparation, monitoring and coordination cost by the implementing agency, West Africa Power Pool (WAPP). 

Meant for the Greater Banjul, a densely populated area, the agreement signed on December 16, 2013 between the Government of The Gambia and the ECOWAS Commission is expected to address erratic power supply.

Senegal: No longer a sanctuary for African dissidents

The West African State has adopted a policy of expelling African refugees critical of their home governments

Macky Sall (L) was invited by Yahya Jammeh (R) to attend The Gambia’s 48^th Independence Anniversary (Photo taken from Scoops de Ziguinchor)

GPU calls on Jammeh to reopen The Daily News

GPU Secretary General, Gibairu Janneh, speaks at a Coco Cola-organised media event in Gambia (Photo Credit: MSJoof/TNBES/2013)

The Gambia Press Union, GPU, has on Sunday called on Gambia’s President Yaya Jammeh to reopen the tri-weekly English-language newspaper, The Daily News.

It also welcomes the president’s lifting of the ban on the privately-owned media houses Taranga FM and The Standard newspaper. 

NRP to hold national convention in May

NRP leader Hamat Bah speaking to journalists on election nomination day in 2011 (Photo Credit: SoutAfrica) - Now, Bah said he believes 2013 was a disappointing year for the opposition in the country, not because they are oppressed, but because “there is no unity”.

The Gambia say no change of philosophy for ‘homosexuality and unbridled freedoms’

"... I am not going to change that philosophy overnight because of foreign influence tagged to the bait of aid that is conditioned on the acceptance of alien cultures like homosexuality and unbridled freedoms...," Mr Jammeh said. (Photo Credit: EPA)

Gambia lifts ban on two media houses, one remain closed

President Yahya Jammeh said "the two institutions are urged to operate within the framework of the laws governing the media in this country." (Photo Credit: Wikipedia)

The Gambia: Entertainment Industry Is Growing

Once a dull business, the Street Rap Battle injects vigour in would-be singers to join a growing Gambian music industry

Perhaps, one sector where the West African country's FLAG FLIES HIGHEST in 2013, is the entertainment industry. 

Gambian Sports Locked up in Power Struggle for a Whole Year

This setback served as a benchmark for the country’s lack of participation and poor performance in international competitions

Fight for power nearly killed the game in 2013. In this photo, Gambia 0-3 Ivory Coast, Independence Stadium, Bakau, Saturday June 8, 2013, Brazil 2014 qualifier. (Photo Credit: Modou S. Joof/TNBES/June2013)

THE GAMBIA: An Economy dominated by poor currency performance and strict tax rules in 2013

Think tanks say the economy is ‘still recovering’ from the severe drought that hit the country in 2011

 

In 2013, Gambia's currency, the Dalasi (D), recorded massive depreciation against major foreign currencies.

The Gambia: The Year 2013 Ends With Crackdown on Opposition

Convictions and sentencing of top government officials, and a divided opposition ‘united for change’

The West African country also made high profile decisions by exiting the Commonwealth of Nations over "neo-colonialism" and cut off diplomatic ties with Taiwan for “strategic national interest.”

THE GAMBIA: State of Press Freedom and Freedom of Expression 2013

One unresolved murder, one disappeared, two media houses reopened, one remain closed, several arrests and detentions, four exiled, two on trial and more draconian media laws

The West African country have passed laws that carry up to 15 years of jail term or a fine of three million Dalasi (around 63,250 Euros) or both - for whoever spreads “false news” about the government or public officials on the internet.