An NPP militant, Ousainou Bai Sankareh, has said if Ousainu Darboe is bankrolling The Standard, the newspaper better come to the realisation that the veteran politician’s dream of presiding over the affairs of the country will remain a pipe dream.
Sankareh has apparently taken offence in The Standard after the paper last week reported his maiden court appearance over charges of assault. He was arraigned at the Brikama Magistrates’ Court for allegedly assaulting his wife and causing her physical harm.
Following The Standard report captioned, “NPP’s Bai Sankareh In Court For Wife Battering”, Sankareh reached out to the author of the story Amadou Jadama, complaining bitterly as to why NPP should be linked to the story. The NPP militant was apparently infuriated and following the publication, he telephoned the paper’s editor Lamin Cham threatening to attack the author.
In response, Editor Cham advised him that the report was based on proceedings of an open court and if at all he had any inconvenience it would be proper to direct his grievances to the court or better still come to the office to state your grievances than assaulting the reporter.
The matter was reported to Principal Magistrate Isatou Darboe who is presiding over the case and she advised that the matter be reported to the police.
Last Monday, Reporter Amadou Jadama lodged a complaint at the Farato Police Station and Sankareh was invited for questioning.
Sankareh told the police: “These people are UDP supporters and even Darboe they are supporting could not do anything about him. If Darboe is paying you to support him, that would have no effect on me. Darboe will only smoke but would never catch fire. You are just disturbing yourself because we are battling with Darboe and not you.”
But the police reminded him that The Standard’s purported sympathy for Ousainou Darboe was not their concern, adding that their preoccupation is the maintenance of peace and order in the country.
He was enlightened by the police that criminal cases are normally dealt with in courts and that it was sufficient when he brought the matter to the attention of The Standard editor. He was warned not to accost the reporter and should seek recourse in the courts if he feels offended.
The Standard proprietor and managing editor Sheriff Bojang reacted: “These are the hazards of the job. After The Standard published a story about a threat of arson at Banjul’s Albert Market early in March last year, this UDP surrogate Bakary Trawally issued an audio claiming I was in the pay of Ousman Sowe of the SIS and President Barrow. Ousainou Bai Sankareh’s statement is the same nonsense. There is not enough money in the Central Bank of The Gambia for any politician to buy me or The Standard. Nonetheless, we take the safety of our workers including our reporters very seriously and if there is any further threat or harm caused to the person of Mr Jadama, we will swiftly take the necessary action.”
