23/04/2025
A Gambian political commentator, Ba Samba Njol Drammeh, based in the United States of America said the idea of prosecuting the former president, Yahya Jammeh has no benefit.
Ba Samba, speaking to Star FM "jamalagareh", with Abubacarr Jawara on 20th of April, 2025, backed Hon. Mai Ahmad Fatty's comments that; it is unwise to spend D4.2 billion on prosecuting Jammeh and urges government to focus on victims instead".
Ba Samba said the former president, Yahya Jammeh was accused but not proven guilty yet.
Ba Samba emphasized on the importances of forgiveness, that the Gambia should take example of countries like Ghana and South Africa, where people that were murdered were far more than that of the Gambias, but they still forgive each other.
"If Jammeh is not prosecuted, he will be shy to appear in public and he will forever be ashamed of himself and he (Jammeh) will have nothing to say; because Gambians would say that they forgive him, if not he would have been in jail", Ba Samba said.
Ba Samba urged president Barrow to send 'Muslims Elders Council' to tour the whole Gambia by sensitising the citizens about the benefits, disadvantages and the negative consequences of prosecuting Jammeh. He also urged Jammeh to publicly apologize to Gambians, like make it in the form of a video.
"It is true that brutally killing people is not a good thing but to spend this huge sum of money, only to prosecute Jammeh is not good either. Instead they should use it to support the victims". Ba Samba added that it is also not guaranteed since nobody knows who will win the case.
He furthered that the fearful consequences of prosecuting Jammeh may even not be impactful, as Jammeh might win the case, and if he does he might come back to the country and move freely like he did nothing. Not to mention getting back into politics full vigor.
Ba Samba alleged the majority of people with the idea that "Jammeh should be prosecuted" are mostly UDP supporters, because they thought they're the only victims who suffered during Jammeh's 22 years regime; however, many other nationals including West Africans were also affected during his time.
