Over the past few weeks’ murder, especially among youths, has been in the headlines in the country’s main newspapers and television. But the question that always comes to my mind since then was why do youths choose to kill each other because as far as I know there is no stress on them that can encourage them to kill.

When one looks you tend to realise that most people involved in these criminal activities that led to murder are youths. So, one may ask himself, why do young people choose to kill each other?

Young people, being the future leaders of this country, should engaged themselves in productive ventures rather than these terrible acts. As we always says in this column youths should desist form idleness, drug abuse and plan their future to become responsible citizens. As youths we must tolerate each other and live together peacefully and in harmony in our homes and societies for our common good.

The soul you protect may be great for you and the nation.

The Secretary of State for Fisheries, Water Resources and National Assembly Matters, who doubles as the APRC National Mobilizer, Yankuba Touray, has called on the electorate to turn out in large numbers for the forthcoming local government elections. Mr. Touray made this call during his recent tour of the provinces in the build-up to the January 28 election.

Speaking at Brikamaba and Janjangbureh, Touray said the local government election was important because it provided the citizens with an opportunity to elect their own councillors.

He therefore called on APRC supporters to come out in large numbers to vote massively for the APRC-sponsored candidates in the forthcoming local government election.

The Secretary of State for the Interior, Ousman Sonko, speaking on issue of replacements, transfers and mutilated voters’ cards, told APRC supporters to replace lost, destroyed or mutilated cards.

He then commended people of Central River Region (CRR) for their loyalty to President Jammeh. He advised Chiefs and Alkalolu to be mindful of the way they issue out their papers so that they did not get into the hands of foreigners.

According to him, Gambian youth tend to pick and choose jobs and prefer risking their lives to go to Europe in search of supposed greener pastures.

He then urged and challenged the youth to appreciate vocational and technical jobs which, he said, were more lucrative than white collar jobs.

The Governor of the Region, Ganje Touray, urged the people of CRR to throw their weight behind President Jammeh and the APRC party.

A certain Alpha Barry and Ousman Barry will return to the Bundung Magistrates’ Court on 27 November when their case resumes for trial proper.

The two appeared before magistrate Buba Jawo on suspicion of jointly assaulting one Mumini Touray by beating him all over his body thereby causing him injuries.

They denied the charge and were each granted bail in the sum of D50,000 and must produce a surety who must be a Gambian.

A high-profile delegation, comprising the Secretary of State for Tourism and Culture, Hon. Angela Colley, officials of the Gambia Tourism Authority (GTA) and managers of major hotels in the country will today leave Banjul for the UK where they will represent The Gambia at the biggest tourism gathering, the World Tourism Market (WTM).

The event, which will run from 12-15 November at Excel Conference Hall in London, is expected to bring under one roof tourism stakeholders from all the five continents of the globe.

Ardy Sarge, Laye Mboge, Alieu Secka, Amadou Ceesay and Khaliba Senghore; all gurus in their own rights when it comes to tourism, would be part of the high-level Gambian contingent to the international gathering.

According to our source, the Gambian delegation will use the opportunity to consolidate Gambia’s market share to break new market source.

It would be recalled that last year, The Gambia won the second prize for the best tourism stand at the WTM forum.

Following Setback in Their Trial

Six Nigerian nationals were yesterday returned to the State Central Prison in Banjul as their trial over drug trafficking charges suffered yet another delay.

The Brikama Magistrates’ Court was expected to begin hearing testimonies in the trial of the six suspected drug dealers but trial proceedings could not proceed because the lawyer for the suspects was not in court.

The six; Amachukwu Okarbi, Samuel  Nwaiwa, Okafor Francis Paul, Clement Ifeanyi Obiorah, James Nicholas and Edeh Banke Anthony were sometime this year arrested at the Banjul International Airport on suspicion of attempting to smuggle various quantities of cocaine from The Gambia.

The case resumes next week.

Banjul Magistrates’ Court presided over by Magistrate B.Y. Camara yesterday heard a trial within a trial in the ongoing case of the nine Senegalese nationals from the southern region of Casamance. The men, alleged to be rebels belonging to the MFDC movement in Casamance, have been standing trial on various charges.

The state prosecution earlier on attempted to tender the cautionary statements of the 1st accused, Sidat Jarju, and that of the 2nd accused, Ebrima Colley, but the accused persons objected to the tendering of their cautionary statements on the grounds that they were made to make the statement under duress.

Testifying on the mini trial, Lang Borry Sanneh, a security officer, told the court that he knew the 1st and 2nd accused persons. He adduced that in January this year “we received a classified information that some Senegalese people from the region of Casamance and were members of the MFDC were operating illegally in The Gambia. After receiving the said information a team was selected to investigate the matter.”

Further testifying, Officer Sanneh revealed that during the investigation they were able to apprehend the 2nd accused Ebrima Colley at Sinchu Alhagie. After effecting the arrest of the 2nd accused, he added, “we conducted a search at his house where some items were recovered before taking him to Willingara police station, and later to the NIA headquarters for questioning.” The security operative also informed the court that the 1st accused was also arrested on the same day at Willingara. Whereupon, he added, “we conducted a search at his house where some items were recovered before taking him to Willingara police station and later to the NIA for questioning.” He further stated that during the course of arresting the suspects, they were not beaten in any way.

Also testifying on the mini trial, detective Salifu Nyang said that he obtained the cautionary statements of the two accused persons in the presence of an independent witness called Tijan Bah. He said during the process of obtaining the suspects’ statements, they willingly and freely gave their statements without any force, beating or any form of torture on them.

Detective Nyang, further adduced that prior to obtaining their statements, the accused persons appeared before the panel on multiple but separate days. At the panel, he went on, they were questioned on where they came from, what they were doing in The Gambia, the purpose of the 3m CFA francs they received from the Senegalese government per month, 7, 790,000 CFA, 1000 euros, a Laptop, photo camera, cash book, two motor bikes, the sets of military camouflage and a bag of talisman. He said the accused persons answered some question but failed to answer others.

The case was at that point adjourned to 14th November 07 for continuation.

Magistrate Buba Jawo of the Bundung Magistrates’ Court recently sentenced Lamin Kanyi and Sheriff Touray of Tallinding to serve eight months in jail after being found guilty of assault and battery.

Lamin and Sheriff were, though left with an alternative of paying a D4000 court fine each. They were also ordered to pay a compensation of D1000 to their victim.

According to the details of the case, the duo was among a group of boys who assaulted one Lamin Sanneh in April of this year in Tallinding by beating him all over his body and, as a result, caused him actual bodily harm.

The presentation of letters of credence by four ambassadors from the European Union, Austria, the Kingdom of Malaysia and the Islamic republic of Mauritania to President Alhaji Dr. Yahya Jammeh at State House in Banjul on Tuesday has proved to be the forerunner to a flurry of similar ceremonies. Wednesday saw the presentation of a lot more of letters of credence from diplomats of the same status. They are Guiseppe Calvetta of Italy, Muhamed Gamal Eldin Muhamed Eleish of Egypt, Takashi Saito of Japan and Georgaountz Osgeorges of Greece.

The latest group, whose presentation took place yesterday, consisted of Ms. Maria Munira Ribeiro from Guinea Bissau, Messrs. Georges Godart of Belgium, Jean Christophe Rufin of France, Vincent Boule of Gabon, Dr. Muhammed Al- Doukali of the Islamic Republic of Libya and Antonio Augusto Montenegro Vieira Cardoso of Portugal.

Accordingly, immediately after their meetings with the president, all the ambassadors reassured their good will to strengthen and reinforce the bilateral cooperation between their respective countries and The Gambia.

As Prosecution Settles Down to Work

Hamat Touray and Gibou Touray would, in a fortnight’s time, reappear before the Bundung Magistrates’ Court as the prosecution settles down to work in proving their case against the two.

The duo; both residents of Sukuta village in Kombo North, would now be tried for an alleged offence of obtaining D150,000 from one Adama Sidibeh on promise to double the sum to D300,000.

When Hamat and Gibou were arraigned before magistrate Buba Jawo on Tuesday and their ‘offence’ read and translated to them in a local language, they denied the charge and were consequently given bail in the sum of D100,000 as the case proceeds.

As Court Finds Him Responsible for Burglary

A youth, Lamin Camara, was yesterday found responsible for burglary and was consequently sent to jail for six months with hard labour.

The Brikama Magistrates’ Court, presided over by John Njie, found Lamin culpable of breaking into the house of one Haruna Camara of Brikama Dares Salaam and then stole therein D22,000, $200, 150 Euros and £50.