Justice Ottaba of High Court in Banjul this morning recused himself from the trial of remanded peaceful opposition pritesters.
We are yet to get details of why there is a dramatic twist in a case that has put the Gambia government on high security alert . It has resulted to a sea of opposition defiance in a strictly pokice where the rights and freedims are muzzled. But the cold-blooded murder of opposition activist Solo Sandeng and crackdown on the United Democratic Party leadership have all changed the political landscape, with protest becoming a daily routine.
No reasons have been publicly advanced for Ottaba’s decision. Most people believe it is exacerbated by an interview the Nigerian judge had with Fatou Camara of Fatu Radio Network. In the said interview, Justice Ottaba agreed that the case against Lawyer Ousainou and others is politically motivated and that the state is banking on settling the case through dialogue.
It could be recalled that Justice Ottaba denied detained opposition activists bail citing security reasons. But the same judge admitted that it is embarassing to arrest and detain a high-profile lawyer like Ousanou Darboe on something as minor as holding a peaceful protest demanding for justice.
This development is greeted with cheers by solidarity giving Gambians at the High Court. The case is a clear testimony of President Yahya Jammeh’s interference in dispensation of justice.
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