By Ebrima G. Sankareh, Editor–In-Chief
Mai N. K. Fatty the subject of our breaking news piece on Monday remains in critical but stable condition doctors in Dakar told The Gambia Echo. In an exclusive interview lasting an hour, the doctors who begged anonymity told the Echo “Mai Fatty sustained multiple cervical fractures, multiple femoral fractures and multiple fractures along the tibia.” As we concluded the interview, Mai was headed to the theatre for further surgeries on the leg. Asked if the injuries have not affected his spinal cord, they were quick to say “for now we have no evidence of that, but as in most accident related injuries especially, in this case, we will wait and see what the coming days will be like, but for now we are optimistic that, while the spinal cord may have been impacted, it appears intact for now, but we do not want to speculate. However, advocate Fatty is very luck because patients with similar cases usually either die or paralyze, but in this case his neck while severely injured.., we remain hopeful that with overseas treatment, he will recover fully. For now we will continue to help him rotate the neck and continue to treat him with the modest equipment at our disposal until when he hopefully makes it to the West.”
Fatty who was flown to Daker by the Gambian Bar Association survived what many now believe was a state orchestrated vehicular accident after numerous efforts by the government of President Yahya Jammeh to silence the young and outspoken Barrister failed to materialize.Hospital sources told The Gambia Echo that barely two days before his near fatal accident, Fatty had put Lieutenant Colonel Biran Saine on the dock and subjected him to a grueling cross-exanimation in the on-going trial of Abdoulie Sonko. Sonko from Berending village, Lower Nuimi District is believed to be among the Farafenni Eight, a group of Libyan and Liberian trained Gambian dissidents who attacked the Farafenni Military Camp-base for the army’s Second Battalion in the North Bank Division in October 1996, slew eight officers and headed for Banjul to topple the tyrannical regime of Yahya Jammeh. They were later over powered but before the dust settled, The Gambia National Army had suffered a trail of terror and destruction that left many doubting if, in fact, the country was secured. Biran Saine, then Captain Saine was the Camp Commander and was allegedly held captive by the freedom fighters or rebels depending on whom you talk to. Some were apprehended, one Yahya Drammeh died of severe torture at Mile II Central Prisons and three remained elusive until after President Charles Taylor’s pressured resignation. Say our hospital sources, “the elusive insurgent is who The Gambia government alleges Abdoulie Sonko a Liberian returnee to be and that was the subject of Mr. Fatty’s grueling cross-examination of Lt. Col. Biran Saine, 48 hours before his near fatal-accident.”
The Night Of The Mysterious Accident
Hospital sources reveal that Mai Fatty had just dropped off a friend at the intersection of Kairaba Avenue and Senegambia High Way near the American Embassy and on his return to his Kerr Serign Njagga home behind the wheel of a grey 745 BMW that he encountered the truck that almost took his precious life. Reveal our sources, Mai was headed to Koto and the trailer truck was coming from the opposite direction but from a distance, he noticed a very funny movement and as he drove closer at the Koto side of Senegambia hotel, the truck in accelerated speed left its lane and literally chased his vehicle for a head-on collision. When the mechanical beast rammed into Fatty’s much smaller BMW sedan, it twisted several times, before it finally stopped facing the very opposite direction of lawyer Fatty’s destination. Within minutes, the all too pervasive and notorious NIA- National Intelligence Agency and soldiers had descended on the scene and a little later; the police and the fire service too came. Both hospital sources and eyewitnesses told The Gambia Echo that the presence of the NIA and the soldiers in military attire speaks volumes about the allegation that it was state orchestrated ala Idi Amin Dada. In fact, before the fire service and police got to the scene, some soldiers had already started to pull Mai’s battered body from the ramshackle BMW. A friend of Fatty and some concerned family members had told the soldiers and the NIAs that they had no business with the victim, because he was a civilian legal practitioner. After much ado, they let go the idea and Mai was transported to the Royal Victoria Hospital by the fire service under the watchful eyes of suspicious friends and family members.
Fatty Refused Treatment At Victoria Hospital
Reveal family sources, once at the RVTH-Royal Victoria Teaching Hospital, Mai was strongly advised to refuse treatment by the hospital staff especially, the Cuban doctors who many see as an extension of the repressive regime of Yahya Jammeh. After numerous attempts by doctors at the RVTH to help Fatty, he flatly refused. Instead, he sought the services of private and independent doctors. It was then that a senior team of The Gambia Bar Association (GBA) held a conclave and sought the services of AFRIMED a highly reputable Medical & Health Services facility in the impoverished mini-West African state. Fatty was then handed to this facility and at the time of the transfer, RVTH staff told the latter that Fatty was very stubborn; he could not allow any one to treat him. Once transferred to AFRIMED, the GBA continued to work out Fatty’s quick transfer to Dakar from where we pick up the disturbing details of Mai Fatty’s encounter with the ruthless regime of Yahya Jammeh.
Genesis Of The Problem
According to unimpeachable sources, the government of President Yahya Jammeh has sent Mai N. K. Fatty to Mile II Prisons or detained him at the NIA several occasions in the past year. “They have categorically and repeatedly told him not to represent Abdoulie Sonko or else he will regret it,” reveal our sources. When the trial began in earnest and Mai proceeded to represent Sonko, Justice M. Paul and then Director of Public Prosecution, Agim (both are Nigerians with dubious legal credentials any way),
Agim & Paul, Jammeh's Mercenary Justices
told Fatty that he had bogus legal degrees and could not represent Sonko. In fact, the police and the NIA proceeded to seize Fatty’s Gambian passport, his barrister’s wig and gown and his university diplomas to humiliate him. To date, the police have custody of the passport and all of the original law certificates. All Fatty has is the wig and the gown that were returned after senior members of the GBA; Ousainu Darboe, Musa Bittaye and Surataha S. B. Janneh pleaded with the Nigerian duo. It was only then that the case proceeded until what happened at about 10pm that fateful night on Senegambia high way. Lamentably, Mai Fatty's vehicle was left on the road side until days later when members of the GBA towed it for him. The police who should have towed the car for any future criminal investigations had no interest in the case. Hopefully, he too, like his learned senior colleague Ousman Sillah will live to tell the harrowing tale he suffered under Yahya Jammeh’s tyranny. We wish him speedy recovery and will keep you posted.
Editor’s Note: As we went to press no local Gambian newspaper has so far reported on Mai Fatty’s case. We are curious!!