The
newly-appointed Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Aboubacarr Marie
Tambedou, was yesterday sworn in at a ceremony held at the Kairaba Beach Hotel
The ceremony, presided over by President Adama
Barrow, was attended by other cabinet ministers.
Aboubacarr
M. Tambedou was among the first eleven ministers to be appointed in the new
government.
Mr
Tambedou worked at the Office of the UN prosecutor for the International
Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, from 2003 to 2012, and became Assistant to the
office of the prosecution, from 2012 to 2016, of the UN tribunal for the former
Yugoslavia.
Tambedou
also said his ministry will review the constitution, abolish draconian media
laws, and institute reforms with a vibrant and independent judiciary.
Speaking
at the ceremony, President Adama Barrow commended the newly-appointed Justice
Minister, for being “very helpful during the whole transition period,” adding
that Tambedou “stood by the coalition throughout that time”.
President
Barrow said minister Tambedou is a “true patriot who loves The Gambia dearly”,
adding that The Gambia is “very important” to him.
“There
is no doubt that he would serve the country to the fullest,” he added.
President
Barrow said the justice system is very important in any society; that it is
good “having someone who is willing to work with the Gambian people”, and that
the country should surely have the best justice system ever in its history.
The
President urged Gambians to exercise patience as the remaining ministerial
positions will be announced later.
“We
are taking our time to select the best people for the jobs,” he said, adding that
there should be “no rush, no hesitation”.
“Therefore,
I am appealing to Gambians to exercise patience, while this thing is being
worked out,” he said.
Speaking
earlier, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and
Gambians Aboard, Ousainou Darboe, also commended the newly-appointed Justice
Minister, saying Minister Tambedou is an “honest, hardworking and courageous
person”.
Minister
Darboe said further that Minister Tambedou is not new to the law and legal
system, and “he is very versatile in the area he has been given to oversee, and
there is no doubt in that”.
