The latter is currently in the dock over charges of crime against humanity, sexual violence among other damning allegations.
Reports seen by The Point aimed at shielding Sonko also rebuffed the prosecution’s allegations and insisted that “Sonko was simply taking orders from Yahya Jammeh as his Interior Minister … and operating under his direction as officially endorsed…”
Thus, he denied all the charges.
The former Minister’s defence is also desperately shifting the allegations of wrongdoing not only to the former dictator but also to officials of the notorious and now defunct National Intelligence Agency (NIA).
However, further responding to enquiries by this correspondent mainly regarding the dimension, time frame and submissions by both parties involved, a senior official privy with the case, noted: “As long as the case is ongoing, we cannot give any more information. Nevertheless, prosecutors are doing their utmost to expose widespread and flagrant human right abuses by the defendant as part of the Universal Jurisdiction principle recognised by us since 2011…”
The Point equally leant that Prosecutors have gathered “ample evidence … activities, events and actions as well as documents and testimonies from victims or their family members in and outside of The Gambia”.
It also indicated clearly that “Yahya Jammeh personally and actively played a major role in the unlawful persecutions, tortures, disappearances and killings of several innocent Gambians without any remorse”.
Consequently, it further demanded the ex-dictator’s extradition from his hiding place in Equatorial Guinea in order “to face justice… and to void the repetition of a similar scenario in the future”.
It also added that “Sonko, cannot simply rely on his testimony that he was simply acting on behalf of a dictator… His positions serving as former Commander of the State House Guard and Inspector General of Police was evident that he was not only a tool of Yayha Jammeh’s oppression but also independently involved in personal vendetta against innocent Gambians including journalists and political opponents”.
Additionally, documents cited by human rights groups supporting the victims also mentioned various other government officials including NIA officers who reportedly engaged in several right abuses during Yahya Jammeh’s 22 years in power and further bemoaned that some of the perpetrators are still not apprehended and freely operating or appointed in top positions.
It added that “if justice is further denied or delayed, the unintended consequences will be even graver in future”.
Separately, in Germany, Bai Lowe, who actively operated with the notorious Junglers that involved in the gruesome murder of Deyda Hydara, editor and co-proprietor of The Point newspaper was sentenced to life in prison for similar crimes against humanity.
Lowe had equally tried to defend himself by using the same scapegoating method of “acting under the orders of Yahya Jammeh”. But he failed to convince the judges and finally took responsibility for his own action.
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