Point Newspaper Co-Proprietor Pap Saine Accused of Spying For The Jammeh Government!!!

….. Point Editor Suspects That Saine Masterminds His Assassination Attempt

….Momodou Justice Darboe’s chilling and scary revelations against Saine

By Momodou Justice Darboe

 Banjul: 7/17/08-Latest reports emerging from the hub of The Point newspaper are suggestive of a conspiracy theory about the deadly attack on senior editor Momodou Justice Darboe early this month. Reliable sources at the Bakau-based daily Point newspaper have reliably informed the US-based Freedom newspaper that the Managing Editor of The Point, Mr. Pap Saine, had, hitherto the assassination attempt on editor Darboe, threatened that he Pap Saine have now known he who used to send information from The Point to international news agencies and that he was determined to do something about it." I now know the person who is sending information to international news outlets but I will do something about it," Mr. Saine threatened.

Mr. Saine's threat came when he found Darboe at an advanced stage of sending a write-up to Committee for the Protection of Journalists,CPJ, about a death threat issued to one of the staff members of The Point by the Gambia's immediate past minister of Youth and Sports.

Apparently, CPJ had called reporter Ebou Manneh to explain his ordeal to them and in the process, Manneh consulted Darboe, seen as one of the finest brains at The Point, to help him. In the process, Darboe informed one Rhodes of CPJ that another journalist, Saikou Ceesay, was also in trouble with the authorities in The Gambia. Consequently, Rhodes asked Darboe to prepare a detailed report about Ceesay's plight. But before this, Darboe had already prepared a comprehensive report about the death threat on Manneh and as he attempted to send the report to CPJ, Pap Saine bumped into The Point computer room and when he saw the report on Darboe's computer screen, he went berserk and asked reporter Baboucarr Senghore to delete the report from the computer and asked Darboe never to use The Point computers to send reports to international media agencies. But Darboe retorted that Manneh was his friend and colleague and that any threat on him should be of equal concern to him.

However, Darboe later decided to suspend sending the report to CPJ because Pap was not comfortable about it." Manneh is my comrade in pen and when he ran into trouble, I should provide him with a shoulder on which he can cry. I have served this paper for nearly a decade and my loyalty to it should not be questioned. It’s Manneh today and it can be me tomorrow," protested Darboe.

Pap however threatened that he will do something about a 'rebellious' editor at his paper. It was, therefore, no surprise that Darboe was viciously attacked barely 72 hours after Pap's threats. However, before Darboe's attack, Pap Saine had called on the former sports minister that Ebou Manneh was trying to smear his image. The minister later called Ebou and threatened that he will take his life as he-minister- had nothing to lose.

The journalism fraternity in The Gambia were very disappointed in Pap Saine's action even though he had made a profession out of drinking and dining with government officials. Journalists were disappointed because Pap had broken a golden rule of their profession-secrecy.

" The editorial policy of The Point is badly dented following the assassination of Mr. Deyda Hydara, the co-founder and former editor-in-chief of the paper," one journalist told this paper.

Pap, a former dancer with the nickname Njaric, is not a trained journalist. He was a buffoon who had never enjoyed formal education. He was entrusted to the care of Deyda by his respected marabout father who hailed from Louga in Senegal. He had always prided himself in his stage-craft even though he was not a good dancer. He was never concerned about his academic background and is seen in many quarters as too fragile to fill the shoes of Deyda Hydara. This is why Deyda Hydara gave him the role of going round offices and businesses to gather adverts. Very good at begging businessmen and government officials, Pap always want to be showered with fulsome praises.

The talk in town is-Deyda is now turning in his grave considering the state of things at The Point. Deyda was steadfast, brave, patriotic and loving. He was not only a mentor to many journalists but also a father.He regarded The Point as not only an information outlet but a breeding ground for aspiring journalists. He was a journalist to the core and a tower of encouragement and support.

The question that now lingers is-was it Pap that reported Darboe to the authorities as he had on several occasions summoned Darboe and his friend Alhagie Mbye, warning them of their link to Freedom newspaper..

" You boys have to be very careful because your names are with the National Intelligence Agency and the police. The authorities are highly suspicious of you and the more careful you are the better," Pap once warned Darboe and Mbye in his office. Before that he had convened a meeting, warning that there were people at The Point sending information to online newspapers. But why should Pap be concerned about where journalists publish their stories is now the D6 million question.

Editors note: The Freedom Newspaper made numerous efforts to reach Pap Saine for his side of the story yesterday, but his line was unreachable. Yaa-Imam as he is fondly called at the Point, is free to give us his side of the story. The allegations brought against him are not only disturbing, but scary so to speak. The Freedom Newspaper shall avail him the opportunity to be heard if he so deems it necessary. No personal attacks. Respond to the allegations. Thanks.