The Gambia government is not reaching out to the Swiss authorities to extradite Ousman Sonko, the Minister of Justice has said over the weekend.
Swiss
papers on Thursday reported a possible extradition of former Interior minister
Ousman Sonko, based on talks that the Gambia and Swiss authorities are engaged
in.
However,
Justice Minister Baboucarr Tambadou said their cooperation with the Swiss
authorities is not for the extradition of Sonko.
“We
are cooperating in their investigations and prosecution of Ousman Sonko [in Switzerland],”
he told The Point on the sidelines of the launch of the consultations on the
Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRRC) over the weekend.
Sonko
was arrested in Lyss, Switzerland, after a Geneva-based NGO, Trial
International filed complaints of alleged crimes against humanity at the
prosecutor’s office in January.
In
May, his detention was extended as the authorities intensify probe into
allegations of crimes of torture reported to have been committed under Sonko
when he served as Minister of Interior under Jammeh.
The
prosecutor’s office on Thursday again announced that it has extended criminal
investigations to other offenses after hearing testimonies and complaints of
more witnesses.
That
is why it requested for an extension of the detention of the ex-Interior
Minister.
Seven
witnesses have so far been secured by the authorities from The Gambia. They
flew to Switzerland to give testimonies in a pre-trial investigation which
under Swiss laws empowers the courts to detain suspects for up to a year.
Asked
if the government prefers Sonko to be tried in Switzerland instead of The
Gambia, Minister Tambadou said: “Whatever the government prefers does not make
any difference. He is being prosecuted before the courts and we are cooperating
with the Swiss authorities in that.”
He
explained that the Swiss authorities are requesting for information and
material that will assist them in prosecuting Ousman Sonko, and that The Gambia
is providing those it has.
