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How Gambia Became a Lobbyist's 'Nightmare'
Saturday, September 30, 2006 (729 reads)
Saturday, September 30, 2006
Emma Schwartz
10-02-2006
For more than two years, Washington
lobbyist John Aycoth was paid to make Gambia look good. But a dispute over $500,000 Aycoth says the government owes
him has transformed the one-time spokesman of this tiny West African nation
into one of its biggest critics.
During a four-day bench trial last week before Judge Gladys
Kessler of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, testimony
from Aycoth, his business partners, and two Gambian officials offered a rare
glimpse into how one lobbyist tried to remake the image of an unpopular world
leader and how their relationship fell apart. Though impoverished countries like Gambia have ambassadors and envoys in the United States, many hire Beltway insiders in
hopes of fast-tracking their nations into a better and more lucrative
relationship with Washington.
But such work is a high-stakes business that comes with
certain financial and personal risks. Payment delays are common, if not
expected, among lobbyists working for African nations. And clients come and
go at the whim of unstable politics and leaders. The dangers are clear, and
Aycoth surely knew that. His work for the Democratic Republic of Congo ended
in 2001 when its president was assassinated.
John Aycoth
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PANRAMA with 'Bulfaaleh'-Ousainou Darboe hard feelings on the way,Dr Manneh cabinet and revenge.
Saturday, September 30, 2006 (1009 reads)
Ousainou Darboe his past speeches made President Jammeh hate him more..
During the campaign Darboe used a good strategy by reminding Gambian farmers about the need to sell their nuts.This
was a good shot. President Jammeh and Yankuba Touray saw no chance in
getting a winner on that one. They chose to say that,it is the duty of
the private sector to purchase our farmers' nuts? This reveals the
campaign strategies of the APRC behind the scenes. This is exactly what
they were saying during their night visits in different households.
They used Darboe's name to win votes. They told some people that they
did offer Darboe a trade licence in the past but he refused. There are
so many of our farmers who will see Darboe as the bad man. Yankuba and
Jammeh are saying Darboe has the chance to help but he refused to do so
because he is not the mansa. Remember these folks are desperately in
need so they might have simply been bewitched by Touray with that
shallow thought. They have been made to fear the opposition. This is
why Yankuba chose to use the same version in the open now that Jammeh
has stolen the elections. Any person who was told decided to surrender
his or her card. These are the people who did not vote. This
is why President Jammeh thru Yankuba is making noise on that one these
days. Yankuba dared not utter what he said if Jammeh did not permit him
to do so. Darboe will be seeing more unexpected smear campaign from the
APRC. The Jammeh camp believes Darboe was so right about his contacts
in Geneva which he exposed during the campaign.
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Aycoth Sees Smear Job!
Friday, September 29, 2006 (1551 reads)
O’Dwyer’s Public Relations News, New York, NY
Sept.
26, 2006
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AYCOTH SEES SMEAR JOB
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John
Aycoth
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EAW Group CEO John Aycoth testified Sept. 25 in U.S. District Court
for the District of Columbia that he is the victim of a smear campaign
launched by Gambian government officials who are trying to destroy his
reputation by alleging that he had an affair with that country's First Lady.
The firm is suing Gambia
in an effort to recoup $500K in PR fees plus interest from '02 that it claims
is owed to it.
Aycoth told the Court every time
he visited Zeinab Suma Jammeh in her Washington
hotel suit she was surrounding by her entourage and body guard. He denies any
sexual relationship with the wife of President Yahya Jammeh.
Aycoth said John Bojang, Gambia's former Ambassador to the U.S.,
tipped him off about the smear campaign. That effort is geared to killing his
relationship with Gambia's
leader.
Aycoth has also said that he has
received death threats because of the legal squabble.
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POEM:-RIGHT MARKER! 'BAMBI SINGKO-LONGBAA'
Friday, September 29, 2006 (271 reads)
Athored by
Essa Bokarr SEY.
'Jorro!....Jaara!...Jorro!'
"Zombi no deh tink if you no tell ham tink"
These were Fella's words from pidgin English.
Don't they really suit those Khaki denims?
Listening to Fella Ransom Kuti was a pleasure on that platform.
Heatwave!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
'Meow!!!!!' chase that bad cat.
'Sipp waaye!'
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Breaking News:Washington Federal Judge to write A Judgment on EAW Case Against Jammeh!!
Friday, September 29, 2006 (768 reads)
The
protracted legal battle between the Washington based lobby firm the EAW
Group and the Gambian government ended yesterday. The Presiding judge
Gladys Kessler promised to issue her judgment soon. The trial proper
which began this week seen the testimonies of witnesses from both the
plaintiff and the defendants. The Chief executive officer of the EAW Group John
Aycoth, slambed half a million United States dollars law suit against
the Gambian government for breach of contract and loss of earning. John
was hired years back to serve as Gambia's lobbyist in the US. His
contract was terminated while the regime allegedly failed to pay him
for the services he rendered to them over the years. In order to beef up his case
John Aycoth presented in court documentary evidence to prove that a
contract between him and the government did indeed existed. The state
in their deposition says the lobbyist failed to live up to their
expectation and thus decided to let him go. Their star witness Crispin
Grey-Johnson testified earlier that John was unable to bring investors
into the country. SoS Famara Jatta in his testimony also made a similar
comment. Come judgment day, Gambians and the world will know the out
come of the said case. EAW
Group President John Aycoth has always been hopeful of winning the
case.
The Long Awaited Verdict Coming Soon!
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Breaking News:UDP Led Alliance Issues Statement Rejecting the Elections Results!
Wednesday, September 27, 2006 (814 reads)
PRESS STATEMENT
Ladies and gentlemen of the local and international
press, we have gone through a Presidential election on
Friday 22nd September, 2006 and now that we have
received the declaration of results by the Chairman of
the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), we in the
UDP/NRP/GPDP Alliance wish to state that:
We totally reject the results declared by Jammehs
IEC whose Chairman had declared during his swearing in
before the President that eighty to ninety percent of
the country are behind Jammeh.
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Breaking News: Duta Kamso's Son Appeals To Jammeh To Release His Mum In the Name Of Ramadan!
Tuesday, September 26, 2006 (1282 reads)
Breaking News: Duta Kamso's Son Appeals To Jammeh To Release His Mum In the Name Of Ramadan!
Expelled MP Kamaso is feared dead-Anxiety and worry grips her family!
Saidykhan calls on the US government to intervene to facilitate his mum's release...
 Parliamentarian
Duta Kamaso was not only arrested and dumped in jail by the
administration of President Yahya Jammeh in May of this year, but was
also expelled from the ruling APRC party, which she served as an
elected MP for Wulli East. The female MP'S troubles with the Jammeh
government started when the regime embarked on a crack down against
what they called journalist Pa Nderry M'Bai's informants. Scores of
Gambians were arrested and tortured as they were linked to having ties
with the leading US based online Newspaper. They were accused of
passing information to Mr. M'Bai which the state claimed MBai uses to
vilify and castigate the democratically elected government of President
Jammeh. MP Duta Kamaso was one of those accused by the Jammeh regime of
passing classified state secrets to the Freedom Newspaper, a charge the
editors of this paper flatly denied. MP Kamaso's family and loved ones
made numerous efforts to get into contact with the detained former
parliamentarian without success. While Kamaso is currently feared dead
as a result of the physical abuse she received from the hands of her
captives, his 23 year old son Ousman Saidykhan has launched a
passionate appeal to President Yahya Jammeh and his government to
release his mum in the spirit of Ramadan.
Editor M'Bai talks to Duta Kamso's son
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Breaking News: Devastating Revelations At a Washington Court-EAW Chief Denies Having An Affair With Gambian First Lady!
Monday, September 25, 2006 (1330 reads)
 Breaking News: Devastating Revelations At a Washington Court-EAW Chief Denies Having An Affair With Gambian First Lady!
John
Aycoth Tells Court that some officials in Banjul suggest to the
President that there was something going on between him and the first
lady...
By Our Washington DC Legal Affairs Correspondent
While
President Yahya Jammeh and his supporters are celebrating his third
term re-election, a shocking bombshell emerged from a Washington
Federal Court House, when John Aycoth the Chief Executive officer of
the US leading lobby firm gave a devastating testimony in court
Monday, alleging that their were people surrounding the President who
tried to smear his image to the President suggesting that something
was going on between him and the First lady Zeinab Suma Jammeh during
her past Washington visits. The veteran lobbyist who had fallen out
with President Jammeh after he slambed half a million United States
dollars law suit against the Jammeh administration told the court that
he was warned by the former Gambian Ambassador to the United States
John P Bojang to watch his back as there was a conspiracy reached to
destroy his relationship with the Gambian leader by certain people
close to the head of state.
John Denies the allegations...
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Yahya Jammeh did not win,IEC'S Carayol not a smart thief,math of voter turn out reveals more!
Monday, September 25, 2006 (752 reads)
Our Political Commentator No
apathy from us, towards Yahya Jammeh's seditious moves. His moves are
hurting our country's very soul! This reaction towards the election
results does not mean we recognize the essence of elections under Yahya
Jammeh it is an extended justification of the fact that we have been
proven right. This is why Yahya Jammeh openly said "elections and coup
d'etats cannot remove me from power. I am here to stay for the next
forty years" Oh Yes! this is exactly what Yahya Jammeh means. He is
ready to stay there for the next forty years. Is he going to live that
long? Maybe yes if we as Gambians are simply bent on being
reactionaries. We always react to what Yahya says or does. Anyone who
stays hopeless after the so-called victory of Yahya Jammeh should be
questioned if he or she is a true freedom fighter?
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