Where is Chief Manneh?

Its many years now since Chief Manneh was abducted. Chief is the bread winner of his family and his old man is crying himself to sleep everyday. His family is waiting every day and night for him to come home but his abductors are still holding him to satisfy their desires.
Why? Why? Why for Christ sake?

Chief is an innocent bloke. So gentle that he cannot hurt a fly. Let him go please.

Can anyone break the silence and tell his old father whether his son is alive or death.

Gov't responsible for Kanyiba's disappearance

Gambia’s largest opposition party, the United Democratic Party (UDP), has insisted that the Gambian government is responsible for the missing UDP leader Kanyiba Kanyi.

Reacting to claims by President Yahya Jammeh that his government is not responsible for the missing UDP official, the party's leader, Ousainou Darboe, told PANA here Wednesday that plain cloth security personnel, who identified themselves as National Intelligence Agency operatives, were responsible for the arrest and subsequent detention of Kanyi from his Bonto village on 18 September 2006.

He said the UDP had refrained from making a public statement on the issue because it was before the court.

“It will be irresponsible to do so because the matter is before the court and it is a matter of (regret) that the President, who should be the pacesetter in observing basic rules, has used the occasion of the celebration of a military ov erthrow of a democratically-elected government to make unsavory remarks on Kanyiba and his tribe,” Darboe said.

He explained that Kanyi was arrested along with his brother, Wandifa Kanyi, by the NIA, and the two brothers were taken to the premises of the NIA.

Darboe said that Wandifa was released from the custody of the NIA on 19 September 2006, while Kanyiba was not.

He said the UDP official was arrested and detained to keep him out of circulation during the 2006 presidential election campaign, because he (Kanyi) was a formidable youth mobilizer.

The UDP leader also said former Interior Minister Babucarr Jatta had accepted responsibility for ordering the arrest of Kanyiba and Ousman Jatta.

PANA

Gambia press freedom worst in W.Africa -watchdog

Attacks on press freedoms in Gambia are the worst in West Africa, a press watchdog said on Wednesday amid mounting criticism of the country's case against six journalists charged with sedition and defamation.

Seven journalists were held last month following a statement by the Gambia Press Union which was critical of the government's treatment of journalists, particularly after the unexplained killing of veteran reporter Deyda Hydara in 2004.

Charges against one journalist were dropped last week and the remaining six are being tried having been granted bail.

"Repressive legislation, arbitrary arrests and generalised fear - nothing is spared the country's few independent journalists," Jean-Francois Julliard, secretary-general of watchdog Reporters Without Borders, said in a statement. "The press freedom situation in Gambia is the most serious by far in all of West Africa ... Daring to express an opinion or criticise the authorities is immediately regarded by the government as an attempt to besmirch the country's image."

The journalists, who are facing a total of six charges linked to sedition and criminal defamation, appeared in Banjul's high court on Wednesday.

Those arrested include three members of the Gambian Press Union, two reporters from The Point Newspaper and two journalists working for Foroyaa Newspaper. One of the journalists for The Point, Pap Saine, also reports for Reuters.

A previous charge of false publication against Saine, which had been dropped in April, was re-opened and then dropped again this week.

The Vienna-based watchdog International Press Institute (IPI) also reiterated its call for the journalists' release.

Rights groups frequently accuse Gambia of clamping down on the press and media freedom watchdogs say the death of Hydara has never been properly investigated by Gambian authorities.

They accuse authorities of using threats, arbitrary arrests and torture against journalists in the tiny west African country best known as a tourist destination for Europeans.
REUTERS

Dalasi & Butut:strong>Dalasi Strengthens Against Dollar on Forex

The Gambia’s local currency was stable against the greenback on the interbank market but gained against the US currency on the parallel market this week. On the interbank market, the local currency was quoted at D26.63 against the dollar but was up by 73 bututs against the UK Pound to close at D43.00 and appreciated by 12 bututs against the Euro to D37.38. Against the CAF Francs, the local currency lost D1 and was quoted at D275.

On the parallel market, the Dalasi appreciated by 12 bututs against the US Dollar to D26.63 but depreciated by 15 bututs against the UK Pound and was quoted at D43.35. the local currency also lost 60 bututs to the Euro to close at D37.30 but posted a 4 bututs appreciation against the CFA Francs to close the week at D274.

Trading on the international currency market the US Dollar was upbeat against the Euro, the Pound and the Yen. The greenback was up by 1.25 per cent against the Pound to $1.60 and appreciated by 2.21 per cent against the Euro. The dollar also exchanged hands against the Japanese Yen at Y92.50 following a gain of 0.22 per cent.




Instruments Post Declines

Treasury instruments traded on the floor of the Central Bank of the Gambia moved southwards this week. The 91-Day Bill dropped 41 basis points from 12.18 per cent and is currently quoted at 11.77 per cent while the 182-Day Bill was also re-rated downwards by 38 basis points from 12.62 per cent and is trading at 12.24 per cent.

Towards the longer-dated arm of the market, the 1-Year Note shaved off 50 basis points. The Note, which was quoted at 14.85 per cent closed this week at 14.35 per cent.

Company News
Skye Gets CBG Nod
Skye Bank Gambia Limited, a subsidiary of Skye Bank (Nigeria) Plc, has been issued a license to conduct business in the Gambia by the Central Bank of the Gambia, according to a press release issued by the Banking Regulator. The license brings to thirteen (13) the number of commercial banks operating in the Gambia.