AZZIZ TAMBA TUMBLES

By Ebrima G. Sankareh Editor-in-Chief

 

Predictably, like many before him, mighty Azziz Tamba; the all too powerful Assistant Deputy National Youth Mobiliser of the ruling APRC government who created so much confusion in the run-up to the September presidential election, has been convicted on two felony offences by Principal Magistrate Moses Richards of the Bundung Courts. He now faces eight years in jail at Gambia’s hellish Janjangbureh Prisons and may even face more serious charges pending the conclusion of on-going investigations reveals the Chief Police Prosecutor, OC Kinteh of the Bundung tation. Tamba is Guilty!!

Guilty or Not guilty?

Says Ousman Sanneh who deputized for Gambia’s Inspector General of Police, Tamba was originally charged with five counts but was convicted on two counts of stealing and being in wrongful possession of a gun to which he reportedly pleaded guilty and went on for a plea bargain.

The pro- government paper, The Gambian Daily Observer quoted Superintendent Demba Sowe of the Police Crimes Unit, that interalia, Azziz Tamba abused his proximity to the corridors of power, in particular his closeness to President Jammeh and acquired goods and other benefits illegally. This according to a normal State House cliché was incompatible with his portfolio. It is reported that Tamba a hitherto unknown quantity in Gambian political circles has since the July coup gained undue influences and used that to amass wealth and put numerous innocent citizens in trouble. Most Gambians are of the view that in fact, Tamba is Senegalese and only because like the rest, he is Jola President Jammeh allowed him to blend in. It can be recalled that in the wee hours of the last election, Tamba brought the registration process in Sinchubaleya to a halt and triggered the arrest of numerous opposition supporters by the NIA. He had told all that Mr. Ndondi Zakaria Njie, the erstwhile Chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission was doomed and in less than twenty-four hours, his statement became prophetic.

Today, like Baba Jobe, Phoday Barry, Daba Marenah, Baba Saho, Ngorr Secka and numerous other officers, Tamba is on the other side of justice and it remains to be seen, if the rest of these spineless rogues will heed before it is too late. As we went to press, our sister publication, foroyaa Newspaper has just updated us on the latest list of detainees viz:   

THEY ARE STILL BEING DETAINED

 

Buba Mendy     -     Gambia National Army

Buba Jammeh     –     Gambia National army

Chief Ebrima Manneh     –     Journalist

Baba Saho     –     NIA

Musa Dibba    –    NIA

Ngorr Secka    –    NIA

Kemo Balajo    –    NIA

Alieu Singhateh    -  NIA

Abdoulie Kujabi   –   Former DG NIA

Vincent Jatta   –   Former Chief of Defence

Phoday Barry   –   NIA

Abdoulie Jobe   –   Former NAWEC MD

Lamin Sanneh   –   former Permanent Sec. Works

Babucarr Jobarteh   –   Former Protocol Officer

Karamo Jaiteh   –   Department of Works

Ebou Seck   –   Department of Works

Sarani Hydara   –   Department of Works

Ansumana Fadera   –  Department of Works

Momodou Senghore   –   Department of Works

Kebba Faye   –   Department of Works

Alhagie Bunda Leigh   –   Forestry Officer

Muhammed Jaiteh   –   Forestry Officer

Faburanma Sanyang   –   Forestry Officer

Omar Sidibeh   –   Forestry Officer

Pa Demba Jeng   –   Forestry Officer

Master Tamba   –   Kudang Lower Basic