‘The whole country is at the mercy of NDEA’, top lawyer warns as Yakumba case hits court

The prosecution of an incumbent member of parliament and UDP heavy weight, Yakumba Jaiteh, sets precedent for more wide-spread breach of civil rights, top Lawyer Yankuba Daboe has warned.

Speaking to journalists in a video shared online, the UK-trained attorney and vocal UDP supporter declared:

“What we are seeking is that justice prevails in all cases. This is one particular case that it’s very important for justice to prevail. We have allegations made against a sitting member of parliament. If the drug enforcement agents could have the brazenness or the audacity to go into a sitting member of parliament’s house and do what they did on that day, that would all be clear during the course of the trial of what actually transpired, because obviously if they made a case the prosecution, we would have to open our defense and people would hear the other side. I’m hoping that it wouldn’t get to that because we are hoping that this would be a classic no case to answer sort of case. But if it gets to that then we would hear our side.

But we want to hear what really transpired, what they did, why they did that. That’s very important so if they can do that to a sitting member of parliament then the whole country is at the mercy of the drug enforcement agency. They could come to our compounds, anyone’s compound. So I don’t have to sit until it’s my compound to say I have to go and defend. I have to defend because it’s happening to somebody who deserves justice as well”.

Filling the media in on developments in the car which has roiled the Gambian political landscape in recent days, he revealed:

“It went normal. It was just normal mention hearing because it’s the first time they are appearing and it’s the first time we are given the opportunity to have the prosecution’s documents, the charge sheets and the particulars of their charge.

Gambian lawmaker Hon. Ya Kumba Jaiteh appeared in court today

We have been served with that in court and then..because it’s the first hearing the prosecution sought adjournment in order to prepare their witnesses and the court granted that adjournment to the 26th. So on the 26th we hope to hear from their first witness and hopefully we would then be able to cross examine that witness on what actually happened on that date”.