“I urge the National Assembly to pass the said Motion without equivocation and further to ensure that its hearings in respect of the extant matter, will be fully conducted in accordance with established due procedures, rule of law, national interests and absolute fairness to all parties, while strictly enforcing the presumption of innocence to all investigates, as dictated by Articles 17 & 24 of our 1997 Constitution.”
A statement released by Mr. Fatty stated that the purpose of the Parliamentary sub-committee to be constituted is to determine who did what, obtain what and what went wrong (if any) and to ensure transparent public accountability mechanism. “We must always rely on legal processes and not sentiment, emotion, hearsay or supplant subjective personal opinions as established evidence,” he said.
He also urged the National Assembly to conduct the said hearings in public, and to engage the services of forensic experts, where absolutely necessary. “I would also encourage our passionate activists and the entire Gambian media to act responsibly, shunning sensationalism, hyperbolé and factual misrepresentation. The rights to personal dignity, including the right against intentional defamation and due observance of the presumption of innocence are entrenched by the Constitution.”
He further urge the public to allow the National Assembly perform its obligations fully and impartially in this matter without the polity imposing prejudicial conclusions unsupported by conclusive evidence, and for all to take heed of the proviso contained in Article 25 (4) of the Constitution. “The Government has the Constitutional authority to invoke the said proviso under relevant circumstances, at all times.”
