How Baba Jobe was fed to the sharks27 Sep 2007



by PK Jarju

Part one

Introduction:
In the wake of the July 22nd military coup that brought Yahya Jammeh and his AFPRC/APRC government to power in 1994, the economic life of the once prosperous West African country began to sink deep and deeper into the wide blue sea prompting fears that the junta wouldn't even be able to pay the salaries of civil servants.

Life was no longer the same for the ordinary Gambians who couldn’t afford their daily three square meals. The refusal of the junta to return the country to civilian rule was greeted with economic sanctions from the West. To make matters worst, Britain, the country's colonial master, slapped a travel ban on its citizens after branding The Gambia unsafe in the wake of November 11 alleged coup attempt. This made the country’s economy that depends heavily on tourism as its main source of foreign exchange to plunge deeper into the red. Thousands of Gambian youths who depend on the once flourishing tourism industry to feed their extended families were left unemployed.

As the country’s economic woes continued, the military junta under the leadership of Yahya Jammeh, then Lieutenant, began to devise modalities to salvage the country from this atrocious political climate. Shun by many democratic countries, a review of the country's foreign policy was made and the junta opened up diplomatic ties with communists and socialists countries.
Libya whose leader, Colonel Maumar Qaddafi also came to power in a coup in1963 was among some of the leaders approached. With the junta taking a hard stance against Britain and the US, who were seen as enemies of Africa at the time by Qaddafi, the Libyan leader received the junta with wide arms. Qaddafi hated the West which accuses of plundering the riches of Africa and leaving behind nothing but diseases and backwardness for Africans to combat. He wasted no time in pumping millions of dollars into the country's economy as well donated uncountable tones of wheat and rice that were distributed across the country by the junta.

As Qaddafi himself stated in his book, My Vision authored by Edmond Jouve: I feel profoundly African and I belong to this continent with every fibre of my being. And to defend the dignity, liberty and independence of Africa, we grant substantial material and moral aid. In fact, Libya has agreed donations, credits and bank deposits to dozens of African countries; we have supported their economies and their currencies. It has also granted study scholarships and medical assistance, created banks, mixed companies and invested capital in their projects without making any profit.

Libya which was over the years accused of arming many militia groups across the country wanted to export its type of democracy to The Gambia where the leader is seen as the guide. Qaddafi wanted The Gambia to adopt a Libya type democracy in which the revolutionary council will play the role of persuasion and encouragement where the masses are concerned. Gaddafi's main idea is that power belongs to the people and that all Gambians should be members of the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council (AFPRC). He believes that the majority of people do not react spontaneously unless they are incited to do so.

This lead to the creation of the July 22 Youth Movement which was headed by Baba Jobe, who lived in Libya for many years. And by adopting a similar role like the Libyan Popular Congress, many of the July 22 members underwent series of military trainings in Libya and where made commissioners in all divisions across the country. Members of the movement were also blessed with police responsibilities and they respond with force on anything deemed not to be in the interest of the state.

Baba Jobe was also appointed assistant secretary Office of the President. As he revealed in his testimony at the economic crime trial: "As assistant secretary general, Office of the President, my responsibilities was to help the government and the president directly through my connections with the Arab world." Through Mr. Jobe, the junta was able to get financial help from Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and other Arab countries, which were used to fund the construction of schools, Arch 22, Banjul International Airport, Gambia TV and other projects used by the junta to win the hearts and mind of Gambians.

Baba Jobe was also instrumental in attracting many Arab and Lebanese investors including Mr. Basha of Spectrum Group International who imported many tones of the AFPRC Rice and other cooking ingredients that were sold across the country at a cheaper rate. And in order to beat the cartels that were selling rice at high price due to the increase import charges imposed by the Department of State for Finance and Economic Affairs, the Youth Development Enterprise Limited (YDEL) which later changed its name to Youth Development Enterprise (YDE) was set up. Though owned by President Jammeh, Baba Jobe ran the day to day affairs of the company in consultation with Jammeh.

To attain its objective of helping government to stabilise commodity prices, an agreement was made with the Department of State for Finance and Economic Affairs which allows YDE to import rice, cooking oil and onion into the country to be sold below the market price especially in the provinces. In return, the Finance Department was to waive all customs and port charges due to the company.

Based on this marriage of convenience, the YDE imported tones of rice and other cooking ingredients for many years without paying a butut to the Gambia Ports Authority (GPA) and Customs and Excise Department. Part of the company's profit was spent in maintaining the presidential jet, New Millennium International Airline (now under UN sanctions), the pre-financing of the 2003 groundnut trade season, hajj packages to hundreds of Gambians, the presidential meet the people's tours, excursion trips of the National Patriotic Student Association (Napsa), sponsoring APRC meetings and rallies across the country among others.

No one knows exactly how much the Youth Development Enterprise generated from its business, but it is believe to have made millions and millions of Dalasis most of which are unaccounted for. Baba Jobe and President Jammeh were the best of friends. Baba was blessed with more powers than the vice president and had more privileges than the President. The APRC was his life and he spent millions of YDE's money in wooing many opposition supporters to the APRC.

Being so powerful more than a king, Baba was blinded by his powers. He show no mercy on the opposition and their supporters whom he branded as enemies of The Gambia. He spearheaded the arrest and torture of many opposition figures and also engineered the sackings of suspected opposition supporters from the civil service. He was feared more than Jammeh and his name was sang by all griots. His YDE office on Kairaba Avenue was always full with APRC supporters day in day desperate for money or work.

As a close friend of Jammeh, Baba was given the responsibility of running most of the president's businesses like the New Millennium International Airline. He had used the airline on numerous occasions to transport many members of the July 22 movement to Libya for military training as well as trafficking arms from Liberia to the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), which committed the most brutal and heinous crimes in Sierra Leone. The New Millennium International Airline has made many trips to Kono, a mining town in Sierra Leone where it exchanged arms with diamonds.

The diamonds are later sold in the black market in Belgium and other Scandinavian countries. And from 1999 to 2001, there was a rapid growth in diamond export from the Gambia which attracted suspicion from the United Nations. The Gambia government admitted the export of the said diamonds which it said were legally owned by Sarahules, who have for many years been involved in legal diamond trade. However in June 2001, a UN investigation team found Baba Jobe and some close associates of Charles Taylor guilty of arms trafficking in violation of UN Resolution 1343. A travel ban was slapped on Baba Jobe, which infuriated the Gambia government.

The Gambia government openly defended Baba Jobe and President Jammeh himself had accused the world body of trying to punish an innocent man. With many foreign embassies in Banjul refusing to issue travel visas to Baba Jobe, the Gambia government refused to withdraw his diplomat passport and had on numerous occasions allowed him to travel to Libya.
Between 2001 to 2003 records from the Gambia Ports Authority (GPA) say 22 vessels carrying rice, oil, potatoes, and onions landed at the Banjul port in the name of the Youth Development Enterprise (YDE). YDE had a credit account with GPA and records show that not a single butut was paid into that account. Despite the non-payment of its mounting debts, the company's imports were cleared from the port. In other words, YDE was accorded preferential treatment. Baba Jobe only paid for two imports that were made on his name. D299, 000 relating to the discharge of cargo from MV Adele and D623, 000 for the discharge of goods from MV Waranee Naree.

With regards to Customs and Excise, YDE opened a similar account and presented a blank Trust Bank Limited cheque bearing the signature of Baba Jobe as collateral. The management of Customs allowed him to clear his goods without submitting his Single Administrative Document (SAD) forms. Though not ever paying a butut, Ousman Mboge, managing director of Customs and Excise at the time, never gave orders for his men to suspend delivery of all YDE imports until it settle its previous debts.

For over three years, the soldiers, police and NIA officers Manning the ports to ensure that customs and port charges were paid by all trucks exiting the port, allowed YDE lorries to leave the port without even checking whether the required paper work were satisfactorily completed.

One would have wondered why GPA and Customs allowed such a blunder to happen? The answer is simple. Baba Jobe was running the president's business and asking him to pay his tariffs would be seen as challenging the president. Come on, Baba Jobe was the president's enforcer and it is only a civil servant who wants to wake up the next morning without a job, who will dare challenge him.

The non-payment of port and customs tariffs reached the desk of several international financial institutions including IMF and the World Bank which began to apply pressure on the regime. With the country's economy in the red epitomised by a sharp depreciation of the Dalasi against foreign currencies, President Jammeh sacrificed Famara Jatta, his Secretary of State for Finance and Economic Affairs. The Gambian economy was hijacked by some close associates of the president and Famara Jatta had openly admitted that there was nothing he could do to stop the free fall of the economy.

Melting ice

The once solid friendship between President Jammeh and Baba Jobe began to melt down after the 2001 general elections. The president was concerned with the position of power Baba Jobe commanded within the youths and the APRC. In order to maintain a safe distance, Baba Jobe was made majority leader and National Assembly Member for Jara Central. With his office now at the National Assembly Building on Independence Avenue, Baba Jobe was often left in the dark.

Secondly, with Baba Jobe under UN sanctions, he was of no use to Jammeh. He cannot fly around the globe with the New Millennium Airline to run the mafia activities of President Jammeh. With the UN recommending the freeze of his assets, Jammeh wanted to keep his distance from someone who is being regarded as an international criminal.

Some unconfirmed reports say the friendship suffered a final breakdown after Baba Jobe was named as being among the financial backers of the June 2003 attempted coup to overthrow Maaouiya Sid Ahmed Ould Taya, former president of Mauritania, who was a close ally of President Jammeh. President Jammeh was reported to have gone absolutely bananas. It is reported that he was even concerned about his own security taking into consideration the influence Baba Jobe commanded both in the country and abroad. Rather unfortunately for Baba Jobe, the issue coincided with an audit report of YDE's account which highlighted a series of financial irregularities.

With the pressure from international financial institutions mounting, President Jammeh got the way to destroy Baba Jobe without even touching him. Knowing the financial status of YDE, instructions were given to both the managing director of the Gambia Ports Authority, and the director general of Customs, to demand payment from YDE.

Reacting to the demands, Baba Jobe said: "We were very surprised when we got letters from GPA and Customs asking us to pay for our imports. We had a gentleman agreement with the Department of State for Finance and Economic Affairs some years ago, which allows us to sell our goods far below the market price in return for the non-payment of import charges."

The GPA's director of finance, Aziz Samba sent series of letters to YDE demanding payment for their imports. And in one of their correspondences dated September 27, 2003, Mr. Samba on behalf of his boss threatened to institute legal actions against YDE if the debt was not paid. GPA's attorney, Ida Drammeh, also wrote some demand for payment letters to YDE. And concerned with such demands, Baba Kanteh, YDE's managing director wrote to GPA requesting a discount on the D26, 193, 241.13 which was the amount outstanding. Mr. Kanteh also proposed a monthly payment of D100, 000 beginning from November 15, 2003. Both requests were flatly rejected by GPA.

Customs on the other hand communicated some figures to YDE as the total amount of unpaid tariffs. Insiders said YDE management disputed the amount and requested invoices to be sent to them for the imports made between 2001 and 2003. On receiving the invoices, YDE representatives including Buba Baldeh, secretary to YDE board and Buba Senghore held several meetings with Malamin (Tongy) Sanyang, a senior collector and other Customs officials in order to reconcile the amount stated as outstanding with the invoices.

Meanwhile, realising the implications, Baba Jobe in October 2003 held a board meeting at the YDE office on Kairaba Avenue during which matters concerning the payment demands were discussed. In a bid to avoid liability, Baba Jobe relinquished 100 per cent of his YDE shares, which he distributed between Hamidou Baldeh, Buba Senghore, Momodou Sulla, and two others. And funnily enough, neither of them even paid a butut for the shares.

As the net began to close on them, Baba Jobe and his YDE team held meetings with Dodou Bammy Jagne, then permanent secretary at the Department of State for Finance and Economic Affairs, Alieu Ngum, Secretary General Office of the President and some government officials to devise a payment plan.

The fall of a giant

On Thursday, November 13, 2003, Mai Fatty, Baba Jobe's lawyer, was in the middle of a case consultation in his Law Associates Chambers on Satellite House, Banjul, when his cell phone rang.

"Honourable", he said as he flipped open his red Sonny Erickson. "How are you today?"

"I'm not fine. I have just been picked up and detained at the police headquarters," Baba Jobe replied with a soft and calm tone.

"Honourable can you please stop joking. I'm in the middle of a meeting with some clients," the young lawyer said.

"I swear to Allah. I'm serious," Mr Jobe said.

For a couple of minutes, Mr. Fatty sat on his seat staring at his would-be clients. For him and many Gambians never thought that the most popular figure in Gambian politics would ever be arrested. How can the president's right hand man be arrested? How can the most feared Baba Jobe, who gets away with everything; even murder be detained by the police?

Well it was not a joke, but a true story that shall be told for many more years to come. Baba Jobe was arrested by State Guard soldiers under the instructions of President Jammeh. He was arrested for issuing a cheque to GPA, which was dishonoured by their bank. However, prior to issuing the cheque, Baba Kanteh, YDE's managing director was reported to have made it clear to GPA that the cheque cannot be cashed as there was no money in their account.

Although both GPA and Customs have denied reporting Baba Jobe to the police or filing any case against him, he was detained by the police, who said they were investigating reports of non-payment of port and custom tariffs by YDE. His arrest attracted huge gathering of APRC National Assembly Members and hundreds of onlookers who were trying to see another development in Gambian history. While Baba Jobe was held at the Fraud Squad where he spent the night, the Inspector General of Police, Landing 13 Badjie gave strict orders that he should not be allowed to talk to anyone.

Due to the love they had for their majority leader, some National Assembly Members like Ramzia Diab and Nyimansata Sanneh-Bojang spent the night in Law Associates Chamber, where Mai Fatty was preparing his bail application. The following morning, Baba Jobe was arraigned before Justice Madabuchi Abuchi Paul together with Baba Kanteh and the YDE on six counts of economic crimes. A not guilty plea was entered and a bail application was made by Mr. Fatty. However, something dramatic happened.

When the director of Public Prosecution, Chief Akomaye Agim, (now high court judge) rose to object to the bail application, an NIA officer sitting behind him pulled his robe and handed him a note. After reading the note, the DPP told the court that the state will not object to the bail application. The said note is said to have been from the Secretary General. Apparently, Abdoulie Kujabi, (then NIA director general and a friend of Baba Jobe), who was at the time in the UK had managed to persuade President Jammeh for him to be granted bail. Kujabi was said to have been concerned about the rift the case would bring within the APRC and the threats it may cause on national security.

The trial began a few days later with Baba Jobe's defence team, which included Ousman Sillah as head, Edward Gomez, Lamin Jobarteh, Mai Fatty, Lamin Camara and Lamin K Mboge ripping the prosecution witnesses apart. Ousman Sillah in particular, employed a hard cross examination technique which makes state witnesses tremble in the witness box.

Meanwhile, following his return to the country, Abdoulie Kujabi was said to have tried to broker a behind the scene deal between the state and Baba Jobe, which would have included YDE paying the full amount it owed to GPA and Customs with interest and the state dropping the charges.

However, this did not go down well with Edward Singhateh and other original members of the revolution who for many years were living under the shadow of Baba Jobe. Determined to get their enemy out of the way, a close associate of Baba Jobe was bankrolled to provide information on the activities of the majority leader. On December 20, 2003, Baba Jobe had a meeting with some of his close associates at his residence in Manjai Kunda during which some issues threatening to national security were said to have been discussed.

In pursuit of their evil desire, Singhateh in collaboration with some security officers were alleged to have organised the shooting of Lawyer Ousman Sillah on Friday, December 26, 2003, who was perceived an obstacle to their scheme of seeing Baba Jobe sink. Shortly after Sillah's shooting, details of Baba Jobe's meeting with his associates were sent to President Jammeh, which alleged that Sillah's shooting was conducted by Baba Jobe's associates in a bid to tarnish President Jammeh and the government's image.

Jammeh was said to have gone absolutely bunkers and ordered for the immediate arrest of everyone who was at the said meeting including Baba Jobe. And on Saturday, December 27, 2003, while returning from a visit to his native village of Jarra Karantaba, Baba Jobe and his colleagues were arrested by police officers at Sibanor before being escorted under tight security to the Police Training School in Yundum, where they were detained. Lawyer Mai Fatty was also arrested and detained for one night at the NIA headquarters, while Kuru Kongira was detained for many days at the NIA headquarters and was released some weeks later due to ill health. Baba Jobe's driver, who was believed to have been a member of Charles Taylor's National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL), was detained for some weeks before being deported to Liberia.

A High Court order issued by Justice Wallace Grant for the unconditional release of Baba Jobe and his men was ignored by the state. It was not until three months later when all the men except Baba Jobe were released after a similar application was granted by Justice MA Paul. Baba Jobe's detention was made legal on the basis that it would jeopardise with investigations into a case of national security.


As the Gambian and international media were having a feast over Baba Jobe's arrest and prosecution, President Jammeh launched his satanic Operation No Compromise that saw the sackings and arrest of many of his partners in crime. Among them, Abdoulie Kujabi, director general of the National Intelligence Agency, Momodou Clarke Bajo, Lang Conteh, governor general and foreign exchange manager of the Central Bank of the Gambia, respectively; Ousman Mboge, managing director of Customs and Excise among others.

Tarik Mousa of TK Motors, who was dubiously awarded most of the government contracts like printing of number plates and passports, was bundled out of the country in the most bizarre manner. Tarik was given his deportation orders while on board a flight at the Banjul International Airport after been released from detention.

Baba Jobe, Lang Conteh, Momodou Clarke Bajo and some share holders of Whechit Faling Bureau de Change, where in January 2004 charged on five counts of economic crimes. They were said to have conspired and used their Whechit Faling Bureau de Change to embezzle millions of Dalasis from the Central Bank of the Gambia. However, the men never stood before any judge to answer to the charges. The state according to the director of public prosecution, Akomaye Agim, decided to withdraw the case after the accused persons paid all the money due to the state with interest.

Lang Conteh was later charged separately on some counts of economic crimes. He made a plea bargain with the prosecution and was fined and jailed for six months in prisons.

Hanged by his attorneys

Meanwhile, following the shooting of Ousman Sillah, lead counsel for the defence team, Edward Gomez, who was the most senior lawyer among the remaining team, took over the mantle of leadership. Gomez, who never hides his support for President Jammeh and the APRC, was initially representing YDE and Baba Jobe's co-accuse, Baba Kanteh.

Unlike Ousman Sillah, Edward Gomez, who perhaps was looking for the position of Attorney General and Justice Secretary, took a lame approach to the case. Ignoring the very basics of the case, Lawyer Gomez tried to establish a relationship between the state, Baba Jobe and YDE. And in order to convince the court of the close relationship between the three, he tendered some invoices pertaining to the payment of salaries of staff and maintenance of the presidential jet, New Millennium Airline, the pre-financing of the 2002 groundnut trade season, HAJJ packages to hundreds of Gambians, the presidential Meet the People's tours, excursion trips of the National Patriotic Student Association (Napsa), sponsoring APRC meetings and rallies across the country among others.

Although the said documents were accepted and mark as exhibits by Justice Paul, he made it clear to the defence team that they were not relevant and cannot help the case, Lawyer Gomez continued to piled document after document before the court, which saw huge financial payments being made by YDE to the state on the orders of President Jammeh. He only tried to make a strong defense during his final address to the court when he said the decree on which Baba Jobe, Baba Kanteh and YDE were charged was particularly promulgated by the AFPRC junta to tackle the issue of under invoicing and other corrupt vices, which was prevalent during the transition and not tax evasion.

Baba Jobe was also given wrong guidance throughout the case. He was blinded by the large legal team he had and was perhaps too scared to say anything that would implicate President Jammeh. Never did he attempt to expose President Jammeh or link his connections with YDE. He sometimes gave wrong answers to questions asked by his lawyers and in certain instances said more than he was supposed to say.

Meanwhile, knowing that there was nothing they could do to prevent Baba Jobe from sinking, his lawyers were said to have had series of behind the scene arguments about who should get what and how much from Baba Jobe. A certain lawyer (name withheld) got a Pajero and several thousands of Dalasis. One lawyer fooled Baba Jobe into signing an irrevocable power of attorney that gave him the right to do anything he wanted with his assets among other things. A senior lawyer of his defence team failed to show up to address the court on why Baba Jobe was innocent. Some lawyers of the defence team even did not bother going to court at the latter end of the case as they were too busy attending other cases.

Baba Jobe's lawyers also failed to fight for them to be allowed unlimited access to him at the Police Training School where he was detained since his arrest at Sibanor. They only met him for one hour or 30 minutes at the high court when he turns up for his court appearance. This gave them little opportunity to hold briefings as well as give proper guidance to their client.

All taken away

Since his arrest with his colleagues on December 27, Baba Jobe was put under 24-hour security. He was denied access to even his wife by the police, who were acting under strict orders. He was escorted every Monday to Wednesday to Banjul to face his economic crime case.

For fear of an uprising among disgruntled July Youth Movement members, armed officers of the police intervention unit were always deployed at the high court premises with the orders to shot and kill any rioter. Armed State Guard officers were also deployed at the Denton Bridge and other strategic places within the Greater Banjul Area. The officers searched every vehicle heading to the capital, thus causing heavy traffic jams on the Serrekunda-Banjul highway.

With the case nearing an end, some wealthy Libyans close to Muammar Gadaffiwere said to have visited the country in a bid to settle the matter out of court. Their request for audience with President Jammeh was flatly rejected and both GPA and Customs and Excise were reported to have also refused to meet the delegation. After days of fruitless attempts, the Libyans flew out of Banjul with disappointment.

To make matters worse, an application seeking the unconditional release of Baba Jobe filed by Lawyer Edward Gomez was denied by Justice Paul. And two days before a judgement was made on his economic crime case, Baba Jobe was taken to Mile Two Central Prisons, where he issued a statement through Lawyer, Mai Fatty expressing his frustration and lack of confidence in the whole judicial process.

And on March 30, Baba Jobe was convicted on five counts of economic crimes and jailed for eight years in prison. He was also ordered to pay millions of Dalasis to Customs and Excise and GPA in default of which he was to serve an additional three more years in prison and his assets frozen. His co accused Baba Kanteh was acquitted and discharged on all counts.

In order to further humiliate Baba Jobe before the whole world, the state television, GRTS, which never covered the whole court proceedings, was sent to the high court to screen his final fall. While newspaper reporters were ordered out of the crowded court premises, GRTS was allowed to freely take shots including when Baba Jobe was boarding a waiting prison pick up.

To hinder any prospect of appeal, Justice Paul for many months failed to serve copies of his judgement to Baba Jobe's lawyers. He gave a silly excuse that the 40 page document was hand written and was yet to be typed by his secretary.

Shortly after the conviction of Baba Jobe, the Gambia government which had for many years disputed UN Resolution 1343 that accused Mr. Jobe of armed trafficking complied with the UN order for his assets to be frozen. His family was evicted from his residence in Kotu. Ironically, two years earlier, the Gambian representative at the UN had lobbied for sanctions to be lifted on Mr. Jobe.

Baba Jobe was abandoned by all his friends including those close to him. Some YDE members including Kuru Kongira, Hamidou Baldeh, Buba Senghore and Modou Sula even visited President Jammeh in Kanilai to apologise to him. To show their support for the APRC, they embarked on a country wide tour during which they made all sort of sick remarks against Mr. Jobe.

Meanwhile, while Baba Jobe's defence team was waiting for copies of the judgement to decide their next move, the state acted differently. Instead of waiting for Baba Jobe to pay Customs and GPA, President Jammeh, who owned YDE, ordered the closure of the company. The NIA was made in charged of collecting YDE's debts instead of Babe Jobe's lawyers. NIA officers secretly arrested and detained many YDE debtors at its headquarters in Banjul. Many debtors were alleged to have been tortured and threaten into settling the debt.

Interestingly, despite the non compliance of Baba Jobe to settle GPA and Customs, the state did not bother pursuing the matter in court.

Admission

Following the conviction of Baba Jobe, President Jammeh used his annual Dialogue with the People's Tour to mock his former right hand man whom he accused of betrayal. Jammeh admitted locking Baba Jobe in the five star hotel [Mile Two Prisons] for his mismanagement of YDE's fund.

Also commenting on the issue in Pakaliba in June 2004, the former secretary of state for Trade, Edward Singhateh, was quoted by the State House Website saying: "the issue of Baba Jobe does not concern anyone, because the two [Baba Jobe and President Jammeh] know each other when President Jammeh was head of the Military Police under Jawara's administration.

"The Gambian leader has high regards for Baba Jobe the reason of which he was given the Youth Development Enterprise to manage and help government to stabilise commodity prices, but things went otherwise. What we saw on local newspapers are just small in terms of YDE resources mishandled by Baba Jobe. The depreciation of the dalasi was caused by Baba Jobe, who was colliding with some senior officers at the Central Bank in the foreign exchange transaction. Baba Jobe has betrayed the whole country and if he had taken my advice earlier, this would not have happened to him."

Baba Jobe himself at one point admitted in court that the reason why he was in court was not about tax evasion. "I know the reason why I am brought to court. The issue is not about the non payment of ports and custom charges, because we have more money in our account than what we are said to have owed the two institutions. It is between me and the higher authorities and I will not say who and why."

These admissions show that Baba Jobe was completely innocent of the charges he was convicted of. He should have been charged for mismanagement of YDE funds and nothing else. His arrest and conviction shows the extend of which the Gambian judiciary is controlled by President Jammeh, who uses his mercenary judges like Madabuchi Abuchi Paul, Okoi Itam, Akomaye Agim among others to punish anyone who fall out with him.

Justice Paul

Justice Madabuchi Abuchi Paul migrated from Nigeria to the Gambia during the transition period. He was alleged to have left Nigeria under a dark cloud and had found it hard to get a job in the Gambian legal system. Though an intelligent guy, all Gambian lawyers refused to give him a job in their chambers. A devoted Christian, Paul later got a job at the Asset Management and Recovering Commission (AMRC) before being called to the bench. Upset with his appointment, many Gambian lawyers refused to attend his inauguration ceremony citing his lack of qualifications and experience.

Justice Paul later became a friend of the then Chief Justice Muhammad Arif, and from November 2003 to June 2004, he was assigned all criminal cases at the high court. Some of the high profile cases he heard at the time are the sedition case of Lamin Waa Juwara, Batch Faye, and Abdoulie Sonko among others.

While hearing the Baba Jobe case, Paul was given a brand new Pajero by the state and provided with four armed plain cloth officers. Despite being a junior judge, he was selected by the chief justice to represent The Gambia at the Commonwealth Magistrates' and Judges Association meeting as well received other privileges that were not given to senior judges.

To reward him for jailing Baba Jobe, the geezer was awarded the luxurious contract of probing into the activities of public servants excluding the president. He is currently a Court of Appeal judge and is tip to become chief justice in near future