Breaking News: Journalists Barred From Covering Fatou Jaw Manneh’s Sedition Trial!!

By  Momodou Taal, Banjul

The sedition trial of the US based journalist Fatou Jaw Manneh is turning ugly, with the presiding magistrate issuing a decree baring local journalists from covering the high profile legal action, ever brought against a foreign journalist. The Kanifing Magistrate Courts had ruled from now on, no journalist would be allowed to cover the said case. The decree followed an application made by the Director of Public Prosecution Emmanuel Fagbenle, for the court to conceal the names of the witnesses lined up to testify in the said matter.

Journalists were taken aback by these developments, as no one was allowed this morning to cover the Fatou Jaw Manneh sedition trial. The court clerk communicated the court decision to reporters that they were not welcome in court Thursday.

The defense Attorney for Fatou Jaw Manneh Lamin Jobarteh has sharply criticized the court’s decision. Jobarteh says the media and  the general public should be allowed in court, as there is no where in the world, where such proceedings are held in camera. Jobarteh strongly contested the court’s decision saying that in the interest of fair trial, the press should be allowed to report the proceedings fairly.

Despite his arguments, the presiding magistrate overruled his subsmissions. The court upheld the DPP’S application and thus asked local journalists to stay away from the said trial.

Many observers say there is bound to be miscarriage of justice in the said trial. They cite the magistrate’s compromising stance on this matter. What’s evident though is that The Gambian state is poised to jail Fatou Jaw Manneh. All indications suggest that the journalist is likely to be jailed, even though she had no case to answer.