Golden Lead Company, a Chinese owned fishmeal processing, import and export business in Gunjur, Kombo South, The Gambia has been taken to court for the second time in two months.
Gunjur Development Forum (GDF), a consortium of Gunjur youths in the country and abroad sponsored a civil law suit against the company at the High Courts in Banjul, today. Golden Lead Company was first taken to Brikama Magistrates Court barely a month ago charged with four counts of pollution and environmental damage by the Gambia's environmental watchdog, the National Environment Agency (NEA). To the chagrin of many, a government spokeswoman, Amie Bojang-Sissoho read on national TV that the state was going to settle the case out of court.
The task force set up by Gunjur and local environmental groups were not consulted before the government's withdrawal of the case.
WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR - that the government has intimated the National Environment Agency (NEA) to withdraw its case against the Chinese company - that a new civil lawsuit was registered at the High Court on 19th July 2017 on behalf of Gunjur by Lamin Jammeh (Mbakau) chair, Environmental Concerned Group Gunjur - that the case will be referred to the Chief Justice who will assign it to a court next week - that a "perpetual injunction" is added to force Golden Lead to stop operations without delay as they are operating illegally without an operational licence for 7 months - that Gunjur will be represented by lawyers Ebrima Jaiteh, Lamin J Dabo and Lawyer Mboge - that Golden Lead Company's Counsel is lawyer Salieu Taal - that Environmental Concerned Group Gunjur has bag loads of evidence against Golden Lead dating back to 2015 when the factory was built - that a Gunjur task force has written to all major foreign missions and human rights organisations in the country This is a developing story. We will bring you more when the case is assigned and called for mention.