By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT
The Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has said that their “recommendations must be taken seriously” by the Gambia Government. News has been circulating since last week [ending 8th August] that former Anti Crime Unit (ACU) Commissioner Gorgi Mboob had been returned to spearhead the ACU after he was redeployed last year. NHRC Chair Emmanuel Daniel Joof explained how his Institution spearheaded an independent investigation that recommended the redeployment of Commissioner Gorgi Mboob. This was after a joint investigation panel concluded that Commissioner Mboob had assaulted one Ebrima Sanneh in his genitals and forced other detainees into hard labour.
NHRC Chairperson revealed that his institution has “written to the Inspector General of Police asking him if it’s true and the rationale why it has happened” during an exclusive interview with Kexx Sanneh. Below is a link to the interview with the NHRC Chairperson.
Kexx Sanneh: “We have seen the recommendation of your investigation and we have seen that the Government has returned Gorgi Mboob to the Anti Crime Unit. Was the NHRC consulted when the Government made the decision to return Gorgi Mboob to the Anti Crime?”
NHRC Chairperson Mr Emmanuel Daniel Joof: “This was a joint panel that was set up on July last year. It went viral that Commander Gorgi Mboob assaulted Ebrima Sanneh on his private parts. There were also other allegations of forced labour of the detainees. It almost caused a riot. They said that this was the modus operandi that the Anti Crime was conducting its affairs.”
“The late IGP was very concerned and he started his own investigation into the matter. When he started to do that people, in general, did not trust that panel. So he reached out to the Human Rights Commission that was seen as an independent Investigation. And we at the time had started our own investigation. So we advised them that this panel has to be very independent and public. And this was what was done.”
“We chaired the investigation the joint panel of investigation and representatives you had the crime management unit. You had the Minister of Interior. You had TANGO had a representative. You had a representative of the Gambia Bar Association. These were people who served in this panel.”
“We interviewed 17 witnesses, including those who were arrested with Ebrima Sanneh. Including the Police, including Gorgi Mboob himself. We also went to the scene, Anti Crime scene. We invited the Doctor who treated Ebrima Sanneh because if you remember there were allegations that he suffered from STD and other things. And we had a comprehensive report.”
“We drew up a TOR which we all agreed to. One was to look at the circumstances surrounding the arrest and detention of Ebrima and his group. Two to look at who was assaulted, was he assaulted and who assaulted? Was it Gorgi Mboob. Three to advise the IGP on issues surrounding Police arrest, detention, policing of our communities because it had become problematic. As you know it started with the Ousman Darboe case and the IGP needed an independent Institution to lead this process.”
“So we did the investigation, we did a comprehensive report of 34 pages. 17 witnesses and then the recommendations were comprehensive, short, immediate, medium and long term. But the ones you are interested in is what was said about Gorgi Mboob.”
“In the recommendations among the many things that were said. All of us agreed that based on the evidence that was presented. That actually Commander Gorgi Mboob did assault Ebrima in his private parts. It was also clear that the assault was also not permanent. It was something that would go away based on the medical evidence, among other things. It was also clear that Ebrima and the group that were arrested were subjected to hard labour among other things.”
“So we recommended based on the evidence that disciplinary measures against Gorgi Mboob and also his redeployment from Anti Crime because there was a lot of tension in those areas. But the report and among the many other recommendations they made was the way the Police arrest record, the station diaries, even the pocketbook, among other things, a code of conduct.”
“In fact, it was our recommendation for the Police to have a code of conduct brought about a code of conduct today for the Police that they have started implementing. But going back to Gorgi Mboob the Inspector General of Police. After receiving the report of the joint panel remember it was a joint panel. So if the IGP has done what has been alleged by redeploying him it means that he’s going against the recommendations of his representative. And also remember Interior, the Ministry of Interior representative.”
“So, the late IGP agreed we also recommended compensation for some amount of money to Ebrima Sanneh. That amount was paid through us and it was paid to Ebrima Sanneh. And the IGP said he would start implementing the recommendations that we have done because it was a recommendation even to help the Police. We felt that the Police was challenged in the job that was given to them.”
“He said that he was going to Implement all of them and to show goodwill he immediately redeployed Gorgi Mboob I think to CRR. This is the nature of it. All of a sudden we saw the newspaper. We have just written to the Inspector General of Police asking him if it’s true and the rationale why it has happened. The National Human Rights Commission is not just a Civil Society Organisation. We’re a state-based Institution which has been established under the UN Paris principles. Our mandate is very clear we’re not just a talk shop.”
“So our recommendations must be taken seriously. Here we were brought in to chair a panel which we’ve done and the recommendations were based on consensus. But let us wait and hear from the IGP because we have written to him. Moving forward the Police have a lot of work to do we’re going to an election year.”
“Just recently, yesterday we’re still trying to find out more about the incidents in KMC it’s a delicate situation. We know where we’re coming from the 22 years of Policing in this country and what it has brought this country. So the IGP has his work cut out for him he has a lot on his plate. We will support because it is our job to bring back the culture of rule of law and we are independent and we will raise the red flag where ever may come sometime Civil Society is not happy with what we say.”
“Sometimes the government is not happy with what we say but I don’t think we’re here to make people happy. We’re not here to sell ice cream. We will do it to the best of our abilities but as we go through the election period I think the issues around Policing, the campaign period is around the corner, we need to be very serious in what we do.”
Below are two reports which Gainako has published on Gorgi Mboob.
NHRC & GBA recuse themselves from Police investigation on Ebrima’s Gorgi Mboob Torture Allegations
Breaking: NHRC calls for Gorgi Mboob Disciplinary Action & Ebrima Sanneh Compensation
