By: Bakary Touray Jr
Lawyer Abubacarr Marie Tambadou, alias Ba, who recently resigned his post as the country’s Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Justice, has addressed members of the press and offered them some words of wisdom, before leaving the Marina Parade office.
In his first post-resignation press briefing with members of the media, Lawyer Tambadou called on the Gambian media to desist from misinformation, describing it as the “biggest threat” to the country’s peace and fledgling democracy.
The outgoing chief government legal advisor enjoined members of the “fourth-estate” to be cautious of their critical role in the country’s fragile democracy.
Lawyer Tambadou was speaking on Friday, 26th June 2020 at the Justice Ministry in Banjul, while bidding farewell to the Gambia as he picks up a new job at the United Nations.
He told the press: “We all have a role to play in this, but especially the media. The biggest threat to our peace and fledgling democracy is misinformation. I implore the media to be mindful of your critical role in a fragile democracy such as ours.”
The gathered journalists heard: “Do not turn your supporters in Government against you by your actions. Do not, under the guise of freedom of expression, ruin the lives and reputations of others simply because you can.
“In small communities like ours in this country, the consequences of publishing false information can be devastating”.
The outgoing AG and Justice Ministry chief continued: “The people you [journalists] write about have families too, their kids go to school with other kids, and their spouses interact with others at work and other public places”. He, however, challenged them to, by all means, expose corruption and corrupt practices in government, but again, he advised the media to do so with facts as he claimed that some of the media practitioners write for the sake of having credit.
“It will only enhance your credibility. Do not allow those with a partisan political or narrow personal agenda to use you to smear others because when you do, you will also discourage honest and hardworking Gambians from accepting to serve in public office, and consequently, deprive this country of the best human resource talent that we need to develop our country. Government is a microcosm of society and I believe that there are more honest people in society than we care to acknowledge,” he echoed.
Notwithstanding, he added that it’s refreshing to see a vibrant media and an active press corps in the country nowadays; and he particularly seized the opportunity salute the press, saying “well done”. He was quick to remind them again:”But in your hands lie the stability of this country. Be responsible about it.”
The former AG used the briefing to reassure victims of human rights violations that occurred during the past regime of ex-President Yahya Jammeh that, they would have justice.
His words: “I have always had you in mind at every stage of our transitional justice process and I have been committed and dedicated to your cause since the first day I was appointed. I know that there have been difficult moments for you and your families in this process and I can only assure you that it will not have been in vain.”
Tambadou also recalled that he has initiated and delivered on the key pillars of the country’s transitional justice process which has now achieved global recognition by experts as being among the “best models in the world” particularly for its inclusiveness and originality. He cited the establishment of the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission(TRRC), the Gambia’s first National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), and the Janneh Commission that investigated the financial corruption of former President Jammeh, as a result of which the Barrow led government has been able to recover over 1.1 billion so far.
Ba Tambadou said he has led the efforts to rebuild a weakened judiciary and transformed it to a more robust and independent organ of state, coupled with the formation of the Criminal case and Detention Review Panel, to reviewing of a total of 241 ongoing criminal cases involving 304 accused persons.
“On legislative reform, between 2017 and 2020, the Ministry has introduced and/or revised a total of 47 different pieces of legislation affecting different sectors of Government. 26 of these have become law, and 23 are now before the National Assembly for consideration,” the former Attorney of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and ex-AG and Justice Minister of the Gambia, told members of the press.
