JUSTICE AMADI SHOUTS IN COURT

As Lawyer Borry Touray Exonerates Point Editor

Raging Amadi Embarrassed

By Staff Reporter Bakary Gibba & Pa Nderry M’Bai

Email: panderrymbai@gmail.com

Te.l# 919-749-6319

Following his unsuccessful bid to indict the Point Editor, and one of the paper’s reporters, following torture claims testimony associated with the former police chief Essa Badjie by his counsel Borry, Touray, high court judge Justice Emanuel Amadi shouted in court Monday saying that he doesn’t care what the media would write about the said encounter he had with the Point editorial staff.  “ You can go all over the world and carry the story," the judge told reporters, as lawyer Borry Touray exonerated the Point staffers by openly stating that he did indeed made the submission in court that his client Essa Badjie was tortured while in custody by the NIA.  Touray said even though he never recorded his address, he stood by his statement that Essa Badjie was exposed to brutal torture by his captives. Lawyer Touray’s statement left the judge flabbergasted, as Justice Amadi’s quest to indict the journalists failed. The judge resorts to trading empty rhetorics, amid a strong rebuttal on the side of the defense rejecting Amadi claims that there was no mention of torture in court in regards to the detained police chief.

At the resumption of the case, Point Newspaper  Editor Abba Gibba took the witness stand, where he was grilled by a raging Justice Amadi.  Mr. Gibba was asked to explain where he obtained the torture story from, but he told the judge that he was not the author of the story. The author according to Gibba was Point Senior staff reporter Sainey MK Marenah, who was also in court to back his story. Mr. Gibba testified that the Point report was on the basis of a submission made by lawyer Touray—that his client was tortured in court. He said the Point reported the truth, and nothing but the truth.

Justice Amadi did not stop at that. He then turned on to Lawyer Borry Touray. He quizzed Mr. Touray to shed light on Gibba’s claims, but Mr. Touray bluntly own up to his words by standing by his statement that Essa Badjie was indeed tortured by the NIA.

After hearing from the defense counsel,  Amadi  then shouted saying that since the defense has admitted saying it, "you can go all over the world and carry the story." Justice Amadi appeared very upset. He could not believe that Mr. Touray would side with the journalists, but Touray said he was speaking the truth, and nothing but the truth.

It was a rough day for Amadi. Two leading Gambian lawyers also throw their weight  behind the Point.  Mr. Antouman Gaye and Lamin Camara announced their representation for the Point Newspaper.  They showed newspaper publications from the Foroyaa and the pro-Government newspaper, the Daily Observer to Justice Amadi, who reported on the same story regarding the torture Mr. Essa Badjie suffered from the hands of the NIA. The shameless Justice Amadi was rendered speechless. He abruptly terminated the proceedings, and asked the Point Editor to go about his normal business. Case closed!  No charges were filed against the Point staffers.

                        Legal Fireworks       

In another development, a heated argument ensued in court Monday when Lawyer Borry Touray objected to cautionary and voluntary statements that were obtained from his client by police Inspector Mballow K Jobe. Mr. Touray’s arguments were premised on the grounds that the statements were obtained under duress. He said his client was tortured by the NIA, which makes the  statements to be inadmissible in court.  Lawyer Touray calls for a trial within a trial, so that his client can relate his torture story to the court. But Deputy Director of Public Prosecution M Abdullah asked the court to dismiss Mr. Touray’s  application. He said his learned friend fails to  advance tangible grounds or evidence that would warrant a trial within a trial.

Following Editor Pa Nderry M’Bai’s radio announcement that there were strangers in Banjul, the Government yesterday embarked on a massive raid of beggars within the Greater Banjul Area.  It was a joint security operation aimed at cleaning the city of homeless people and beggars.

Our reporter who is a living witness to the arrest of these beggars, said the detainees were taken to the Mile Two Central Prisons. A good number of people were arrested.