By Binta A Bah
A high court in Banjul has dismissed a D6M lawsuit filed by the former Gambian ambassador to Guinea Bissau, Musa Sonko against the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Attorney General.
However, presiding judge Ebrima Jaiteh ordered the Ministry to pay Sonko’s salary for November 2018 and the rest of his monthly salary as stipulated in the Foreign Service Regulation from March to May 2019.
The court also instructed the ministry to pay Sonko D50, 000 for breach of contract, one of claims he sought for in his suit.
Musa Sonko filed the suit in 2019 claiming D6, 647, 522 that government had refused to pay him despite demands since his removal from office. However, the court held that Sonko failed to produce material evidence that he is entitled to the said sum.
In his ruling, Justice Jaiteh said Sonko did not provide any credible evidence in the form of tickets and receipts that he paid D150,000 as transportation cost to bring back his family to The Gambia.
Justice Jaiteh held that there is also no evidence that Sonko spent D78, 270 for the educational allowance of his four children and another D70, 000 he used to fuel the head of mission’s utility car that should have been provided by the mission.
“The plaintiff’s claim of D6, 647, 522 being various amounts of money is hereby dismissed and not payable to the plaintiff by the defendants,” he ruled.
