Gov’t Appeal Supreme Court Ruling On Ya Kumba’s Case

By Omar Bah

The deputy presidential youth adviser, Saikou Mballow, has confirmed that the The Gambia Government has appealed the Supreme Court ruling over the Ya Kumba Jaiteh case.
“The government has appealed for the Supreme Court to stop the execution of its ruling for Ya Kumba Jaiteh to return to her position as Nominated Member of the National Assembly until such a time that the court exhausts our appeal,” Mballow told Taranga FM.

He said although the government believed it has all the rights to appeal against ruling based on law. “This is a government that believes in the rule of law,” he added.
Ya Kumba Jaiteh was nominated by the president as member of the National Assembly in April 2017. But her nomination was revoked by President Barrow.
Mballow said the Gambian leader was advised to sack Ya Kumba Jaiteh because she was not acting respectfully towards the president.

Lawyer Lamin Mboge has also reportedly filed a motion for the Supreme Court to restrain Ya Kumba Jaiteh from assuming her seat at the National Assembly.
The full bench (seven judges instead of five) of the Supreme Court has the jurisdiction to review its own decision. Section 127 of the 1997 Constitution gives the Supreme Court the power to review its own case and come up with a determination.

If the motion sought succeeds in the review case, the previous judgment will be set aside.
Following the Supreme Court ruling, the Ministry of Justice issued a press release expressing the government’s desire to comply with the decision.