By Solo
The president of the tiny West African state of the Gambia surrounded by Senegal on all sides except the Atlantic Ocean, Yahya Jammeh, is celebrating his 21 years of military takeover of government from 1994 to date, and has today July 22nd 2015 pardoned various prisoners convicted of various crimes.
The Gambian strong man said he took over the country when he was 29 years of age and today he is 50 years. He said he has a very important announcement to make and that was the reason why he was standing there.
He condemned terrorism and said: “As Muslims and as good Christians, the Holy Quran has demonstrated forgiveness even at the time of the true Jihad. Big criminals disguising as Muslims killing innocent people in Mosques and Churches and commercial places, has nothing to do with Islam. Islam is a religion of tolerance, forgiveness and peace,” said President Yahya Jammeh, President of the Republic of the Gambia, this afternoon July 22nd..
In the Christian religion, at least in the Catholic Bible which he said he reads, Jesus Christ said if they slap you on one cheek, you turn the other cheek. ‘Unfortunately, I don’t think I can do that. If you slap me on one cheek I will warn you, if you want to slap me on the other I will stop you, and if I am hit, I will slap you,’emphasized Jammeh.
“But at the end of this week, from 1994 to date, in my administration, many have committed various offences, some of which are capital offences. If I don’t forgive them, I am not a good leader. I believe in the Almighty Allah, I have sworn here on several occasions that for certain crimes I will not forgive. I read the Quran every time and I also read the Bible . If we don’t forgive each other how would the Almighty Allah forgive me as the leader of this country?”
“On this note, I urged those concerned to take note because I will not repeat,”the president said.
President Jammeh announced that all those convicted of Treason from 1994 to 2013 and are in death row and serving life sentences are hereby pardoned.
This attracted a rapturous clap and ovation.
“As from today, all those convicted of murder and had served 10 years and above are also hereby pardoned,” announced Jammeh.
Long ovation!
“But except 3 cases that I know of, the cannibal, who murdered a woman on a farm, chopped her body to pieces and ate some of it, that person I will never forgive.”
“The one who also called himself Ayatollah, one Hydara, who shot his first wife and wanted to eliminate all the kids of his first wife because they were opposed to him taking a second wife, a 17 year old girl as 2nd wife, I will not forgive.”
“Violence against women and children, I shall never forgive.”
“All those convicted of possession of Cannabis especially all the young people except repeat offenders are hereby pardoned,” added president Jammeh.
“All those convicted of Trafficking or Terrorism and have served three years and above are hereby pardoned, except repeat offenders.
For hard drugs, he said if he could pardon murderers, why not hard drugs? He said all those who have served five years and above for cocaine, and other hard drugs are also forgiven.
But be it murderers, drug traffickers or anybody convicted of Rape, if the person he raped is 20 years and above, is also pardoned.
And then those convicted from 2013 backwards, he clarified that anybody who has raped a child, would serve the full sentence and said there will be no mercy for such offenders.
However, he added that all those convicted who are foreigners, especially of murder, rape, drug trafficking and armed robbery, must be deported immediately and all those who he talked about must be released not later than Friday 24th July 2015.
Today’s pardoning of convicts has included alleged coupists like General Lang Tombong Tamba and six others who were convicted of treason, the Farafenni barrack attackers of 1998, and a host of others would be breathing the air of freedom by Friday 24th July 2015.