Journalist SaidyKhan explains death threat that sent him to 5 years in exile
By AMADOU MANJANG
Abubacarr SaidyKhan, freelance journalist and onetime Foroyaa reporter has informed the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparation Commission (TRRC) that he left the country on 16 November, 2012 for Senegal where he spent 5 years in exile after receiving death threat.
He said he received the threatening message in his inbox on October 25, 2012, whilst at the GPU office checking his emails.
The witness said the message came from an email account claiming to be ‘Mofala Jato,’ which mean a lion that kills in Mandinka language and the subject reads, ‘Tobaski Warning.’
SaidyKhan revealed that he contacted Baboucarr Ceesay who also confirmed that he received same message in his email.
He revealed that he was arrested with Baboucarr Ceesay, a colleague at the Banjul Police Station when they were called to come for their permit after applying for a police permit to organise a demonstration and then taken to separate police stations in the Kombos.
He said the application for the permit was felt necessary when nine death row prisoners were executed against which they wanted to organise a demonstration.
The witness said he was called at the Attorney General’s Chambers on 12 October, 2012, by the then attorney general and Minister of Justice, Lamin A.M.S. Jobarteh and then solicitor general and legal secretary, Pa Harry Jammeh who advised them to go and pursue their studies.
Abubacarr SaidyKhan said he was also in trouble with Jammeh’s government when he investigated the government on the victims of witchcraft.
He also recalled on June 15, 2009 when two NIA officers came to Foroyaa newspaper to arrest Sam Sarr, the managing editor and he was also arrested and taken to the NIA headquarters in Banjul whilst trying to take a picture of Sam Sarr.
He told the Commission that at the NIA headquarters, he met Pa Modou Faal, Pap Saine, Ebrima Sawaneh, Sarata Jabbie Dibba, a lactating mother and reporter at the Point newspaper, Sam Sarr and Emil Touray then GPU secretary general.
He said that he refused when the NIA intimidated him to write a statement while in detention.
He explained that they were charged with sedition and arraigned before Kanifing Magistrate’s Court presided over by the then magistrate Naaceesay Sallah-Wadda who remanded them to prison custody where they spent three days and granted bail on their second appearance.
He described the prison condition as deplorable.
Abubacarr told the commission that the matter was transferred to the High Court presided over by Justice Joseph Wowo, who was later replaced with Justice Emmanuel Fagbenle who later discharged him after a no case to answer submission in his favour.
He said the trial of the remaining 6 journalists continued but were later convicted and sentenced to 2 years’ jail term.
He also told the commission that Ensa Badjie then Inspector General of Police called him opposition journalist at a news conference as Foroyaa was very critical of the AFPRC/APRC government.
SaidyKhan said Foroyaa was side-lined by Jammeh’s government only considered GRTS and the Daily Observer, recalling his days at the Foroyaa newspaper as a young reporter when the climate was hostile to journalists.
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