By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT The Gambia Government has not been acting as fast as other governments when it comes to prosecuting persons it finds most responsible for human rights violations as recommended by the now-defunct Truth Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC). However, other countries like Germany, Switzerland and the United States are not waiting to prosecute persons the TRRC recommended should face justice. The Gambia Government accepted most of the TRRC’s Recommendations to prosecute numerous perpetrators and is currently in the process of coordinating with the National Assembly to table the Special Prosecutors Office Bill and the Special Accountability Mechanism…
Author: Yusef Taylor
Yusef Taylor
Yusef Taylor, commonly known as Flex Dan is an editor and practising journalist based in the Gambia with a keen interest in human rights, the economy and good governance among many others. He continues to break news on the economy, human rights violations and is highly engaged in security sector reforms, constitutional reform and the transition of the Gambia from dictatorship to a democracy, the NewGambia. Yusef has been working with Gainako as a media practitioner from 2015 to date. He has a degree in Civil Engineering with 5 years of Design Consultancy experience.
By Yusef Taylor The Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy (MOCDE) held a press conference today 19th January 2024 to highlight their achievements since they were established in 2022. Speaking at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Center, Minister Bah thanked the President and fellow Cabinet members for their support and highlighted numerous achievements registered by his Ministry in 2023. After President Adama Barrow won his second term in December 2021, his government split up the Ministry of Information and Communications into two separate institutions with one focusing on Information which houses all the state communication outlets such as…
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT The former Minister of Interior and Inspector General of Police told Swiss Judges that his leadership saved the Police Force from being implicated by the Truth Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) on 9th January 2024. However, our fact-checkers have found evidence contrary to the former Police Chief’s claims. In addition, Sonko claims that he provided protection to former Gambia Press Union Vice President Baboucarr Ceesay after Amnesty International requested him to do so back in 2012. Our reporter spoke to the former Press Union leader who also refuted Sonko’s claims. Ousman Sonko was a member of…
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT The Gambia Revenue Authority’s (GRA) Commissioner General Yankuba Darboe, has told members of the press that “there will be no tax increments this year” at their first press conference of the year 2024. Speaking from the GRA Headquarters in Banjul on 2nd January 2024, Commissioner General (CG) Yankuba Darboe, highlighted that “there are few revenue measures we are taking to broaden the tax base so that those who are not within the tax bracket will come into it for us [GRA] to be able to achieve our target.” CG Darboe revealed that GRA collected D15.6 billion…
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT The leader of the Gambia’s biggest opposition party has condemned President Adama Barrow for “gradually becoming a dictator in the county”. Delivering his New Year statement to Gambians the former Vice President and Political Godfather of the President listed numerous reasons why he believed “anybody thinks that am wrong, engage me and ask me to give you the evidence and I’ll give you the evidence” to prove his allegation. Speaking to members of the press days after President Barrow delivered his New Year message, Ousainu Darboe met members of the press yesterday 4th January 2024 at…
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT In what is considered the most high-profile case of universal jurisdiction in Switzerland, former Minister of Interior and Inspector General of Police, Ousman Sonko will face trial for crimes allegedly committed under the dictatorship of former President Yahya A J J Jammeh next week 8th January 2024. Former Jungler Driver, Bai Lowe was convicted by a German court in Celle for the killing of the former President of the Gambia Press Union, Deyda Hydara, former Military personnel Dawda Nyassi and the attempted murder of Lawyer Ousman Sillah on 30th November 2023. According to Bai Lowe who…
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT Popular Gambian Politician Momodou Sabally cross-carpeted from the biggest opposition, the United Democratic Party (UDP) to President Adama Barrow’s National People’s Party (NPP) raising serious questions around the possibility of him working for the Government after he was banned by the Janneh Commission. President Barrow has managed to convert a significant number of political actors from his former Party with the latest acquisition coming earlier this week on 20th December 2023, however, Sabally was banned by the Janneh Commission established by the Barrow Government. This publication looks at the Janneh Commission’s findings and highlights some of…
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT The Gambia’s Sixth Legislature passed the reconsideration stage of the Anti-Corruption Bill yesterday 18th December 2023 after rejecting two proposals to amend the Bill. The first proposal was championed by the Deputy Speaker Hon Seedy S K Njie who moved for the interpretation of Undue Advantage under clause 2 to be removed and for the word to be deleted wherever it appears. The second recommendation from the Chair of the Finance and Public Accounts Committee (FPAC) moved for clause 75 (formerly 76) on the Prosecution of Offences to be amended to enhance the independence of the Commission…
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT The Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) court case where 19 bereaved parents are seeking redress from the Gambia Government was adjourned to the end of January 2024 to allow for Indian company Maiden Pharmaceuticals to be served. In the last court sitting on the case, Justice Jaiteh urged both the plaintiffs and the defendants to progress out of court settlement which has seen the first meeting take place according to lawyers of both the state and the plaintiffs. The latest court sitting took place on 15th December 2023 at 10 am and as usual Maiden Pharmaceuticals and…
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT During the 64th Sumit of the Heads of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) earlier this week The Gambia’s President Adama Barrow thanked ECOWAS for the continued stay of ECOMIG Forces and insisted that the implementation of the TRRC Recommendations is on course. The final communique of the ECOWAS summit details that it was held on Sunday 10th December 2023 in Abuja, Nigeria, led by President Bola Tinubu. Amongst those in attendance were the Presidents of Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Togo. Meanwhile, the Vice President of Ivory Coast, the Prime Minister…