Amadou Sanneh former Accountant General and Treasurer of the main opposition party the United Democratic Party has been freed from Jail. Mr. Sanneh’s freeing came less than a week after the new Gambian President Adama Barrow returned to the country to take over the mantle of leadership.
Amadou Sanneh was serving a five year sentence from an alleged crime which many people believed to be politically motivated by the former Dictatorial regime of Yahya Jammeh. Mr. Sanneh in 2013 was accused along with two others of committing a crime related to documents he allegedly wrote for UDP militants who were fleeing prosecution from the Jammeh regime. The documents according to close sources were found with one of the youths who was traveling outside of the country to Europe. Mr. Sanneh was arrested there after and detained for several weeks before appearing in court. He was severely tortured and was forced to appear on national TV to confess to alleged crimes he did not commit. Sanneh was prosecuted and sentenced to five years in jail with hard labor.
Amadou Sanneh who was a successful businessman and the treasurer of the United Democratic Party was the likely successor of the party’s leader Ousainou Darboe to run for the party’s nomination in the 2016 Presidential elections. He was deliberately targeted for political prosecution which will prevent him from contesting for the presidential seat. Many people believed that the alleged documents were a set up for Amadou so the authorities in Banjul to have a case against him. Like many other politically motivated case, his was rushed through the courts mainly presided over by Nigerian activists judges. Mr. Sanneh was found guilty and without an option of a fine he was sent straight to jail for five years.
Ironically, the New President Adama Barrow was the deputy treasurer of the UDP working under Amadou Sanneh. He took over the treasury position in the party after Amadou was sent to Jail. As they say God work in mysterious ways in that both Amadou and senior members of the UDP including the party leader Ousainou Darboe were also accused of protesting illegally and were sent to jail to join Amadou and others. Many Gambians and political pundits believes that this was the biggest political suicide Jammeh committed when he sent the entire UDP Executive to join Amadou and others in Jail. Everything appeared bleak for the UDP party when all its executive members were in jail. Adama Barrow, Ajiyam Secka and other deputy leaders stepped up and propelled the party to resist Jammeh’s evil intentions to crush the party which has been the biggest threat to Jammeh’s political existence. Mysteriously Adama Barrow emerged as the leader of the UDP and everything appears to have fallen in place until his election as the coalition candidate to contest the presidency. Adama and the coalition went ahead and pulled a stunning victory against the incumbent dictator Yahya Jammeh making it the first time in history an African dictator was defeated through the ballot box.
Mr. Sanneh’s released came a little too late to many Gambians who had expected that he would be released the first day President Barrow got sworn in. However, reliable sources close to the new administration indicated that Amadou Sanneh is likely to play a key role in the New Administration potentially the Finance Minister. Since he was falsely convicted under the 1997 constitution Mr. Sanneh would have to receive a presidential pardon which will effectively nullify his criminal conviction and pave the way for him to play that key role in the Barrow Cabinet. Mr. Sanneh’s release came as a huge relief to many Gambians who believed that he was wrongly convicted due to his political potentials and affiliation to the UDP. Jammeh had an open hatred for the United Democratic Party from its inception. As he feared his removal from office may have been caused by his excessive use of force against the UDP.
Amadou Sanneh’s jailing left a moral dent on the country’s justice system. Mr. Sanneh is known to be one of the most humble and honest citizen Gambia has produced. Many people testified to his generosity, honesty and integrity especially those who closely worked with him and or were his neighbors. So when he was falsely accused of forging documents to help others citizens could not believe it. Unfortunately, for him and his family he was a soft target for the Jammeh administration to make a statement. Mr. Sanneh successfully ran his Accounting consultant firm which was doing pretty well. This may have made him a greater target as former President Jammeh hated to see Gambian citizens striving in their own businesses. Mr. Sanneh’s release has been received with great jubilation and relief from across the Gambia.
Report file by Demba Baldeh Associate editor.
1 Comment
No more to add, except that he was an [disillusioned] Accountant general in the [Vindictive] Jammeh government, who were quick to use one of his many strengths – generosity- against him!
He was also a religious person who prayed everyday, and even between those rigorous ACCA exams that he sailed though with flying colours. It was sad for me to hear that he was Jailed, glad to see him out of that Jammeh created hellhole. Seriously that Prison should be abandoned, razed to the ground and made a symbol of what should never be allowed to happen again in the Gambia, our homeland. The guy I knew then was an angel, with not a bone of treachery in his body and Adama Barrow, no doubt can confirm that?