By Ebrima G. Sankareh, Atlanta Georgia

In what could be described as a "coup de tribunal" Magistrate Buba Jawo stunned a parked courtroom this morning when he hurriedly read out a ruling throwing out the libel case against US based Gambian dissident journalist and pro-democracy crusader Fatou Jaw Manneh. In a legal twist that continues to raise eyebrows, Magistrate Jawo quashed the libel case before him on two grounds of jurisprudencial prosecedure viz: A. That the investigations leading to Fatou's trial were conducted in Banjul, 7 miles off Kanifing and B.The articles exhibited beofore him were all extracted from the computers at the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) Headquarters in Banjul.Based on these facts argued Magistrate Jawo, "my court has no jurisdiction over this matter and I cannot therefore preside over the case." He then told the parked courtroom that I am handing this case back to Banjul. Over the past few years, Magistrate Buba  has some what developed a reputation that befits the much feared unbriddled powers of a magistrate and since the commencement of Fatou's case most observers have seen him exactly as a metaphor of Yahya Jammeh's repressive rule.   

           According to our reporter, when the stunning ruling came, Fatou Jaw Manneh was in the dock straining to hear Magistrate Jawo's hurriedly read out judgement.Observes our reporter, Fatou's Criminal Defence attorney, M.Lamin Jobarteh was equally flabbergastered that he could not file an application for the transfer to Banjul. As we went to press, not even Fatou's lawyer knows when next the case will be scheduled nor which court will hear it if it ever comes up again."They will notiffy you when the time comes" is the only clue the defence was provided says our reporter.

          For now though, it remains to be seen what President Yahya Jammeh will do next since as we all know, it is Jammeh who determines the judicial calendar in The Gambia. It may not be far fetched to speculate that Magistrate Buba Jawo too, is becoming all too conscious, of the implications of making outrageous judicial decisions that have the potential to undermine one's future in a mini-state like The Gambia where everyone knows everyone.