By Amadou Jadama
Nominated National Assembly Member Foday Gassama has countered suggestions by UDP leader Ousainu Darboe that serving security officers implicated in committing heinous crimes in the ongoing TRRC should be sent home.
Gassama the former UDP regional youth coordinator for West Coast Region who was recently nominated into the House by President Barrow, contended: “It is the right of those who appear before the TRRC to confess all what they know during the 22 years of Jammeh.
I totally disagree with Darboe saying that all those officers who are implicated at the commission should be fired.
Mr Darboe is a lawyer, and he understands very well that the law says any person who appears before a court or commission shall have the right to presumption of innocence until proven guilty. It is clearly stated in the Constitution.
“Although we condemn the killing and torture of innocent Gambians during the 22 years of Yahya Jammeh – nobody supports that – these people have not been convicted for crimes yet because the TRRC is not ready.
I was in the forefront of the fight against the Jammeh dictatorship and the emancipation of the country but I totally disagree that those serving officers who are implicated at the TRRC for their involvement in the killing and other crimes should be fired from their positions.
“They have the right to hold their positions until the commission makes recommendations that they be fired or prosecuted.
Let us leave everything in the hands of the TRRC. The commission was set up by President Barrow to investigate the atrocities and the president’s actions should be based on the recommendations of the Commission.
“People fail to understand that the TRRC is meant to reconcile. The offenders should apologise to the victims.
Even myself I was a victim, I was unlawfully arrested, detained and taken to court and I was later acquitted and discharged because they had no evidence against me.
“It will be premature for Barrow to act right now. If he acts now, without the recommendations from TRRC, then what is the essence of setting up the commission?”
