By: Kebba Ansu Manneh
The Voice Newspaper and its editor are facing legal threats from President Adama Barrow’s lawyers following their Monday publication about businessman Muhammed Jah, who is speculated to be the President’s likely successor. This is part of a concerning trend where journalists increasingly face legal action for reporting in the country.
Meanwhile, Musa Sheriff, Managing Editor of The Voice Newspaper, has told TAT that the paper stands by its publication on President Adama Barrow’s plan to bring in Businessman Muhammed Jah as his successor to lead the National People’s Party (NPP).
On Monday, September 23rd, 2024, The Voice Newspaper reported that ‘President Adama Barrow is working on an exit plan a little more than two years before Gambians return to the poll to elect their next President, NPP officials, adding that already, the report that President Barrow has chosen politically little-known Muhammed Jah as his successor has caused consternation and trepidation among some top members of the ruling party.’
However, on September 25th, 2024, Ida D. Drammeh and Associates, Counsel for Gambian President and Leader of the National People’s Party President Adama Barrow, wrote to Musa S. Sheriff, Managing Editor of The Voice Newspaper, threatening legal action against the paper for publishing the article captioned “Barrow Chooses Muhammed Jah as Successor as President Barrow works on Exit Plan.”
Ida D. Drammeh and Associates stated in the letter sent to The Voice Newspaper that it is acting on behalf of the President and urging The Voice Newspaper to apologize and retract its article.
“As far as this matter is concerned, we definitely stand by the story as we did justice to it because immediately after we got the information from our sources, we reached out to Lamin Queen Jammeh, Spokesperson of the National People’s Party, to authenticate our story. The spokesperson denied the story, which was published as required by our profession.” Musa S. Sheriff, managing editor of The Voice Newspaper, replied to TAT inquiries about the reported lawsuit.
He added: “We reached out to the NPP Spokesperson to get the side of the story from his party as the article deals with a public figure, and the need to talk to its party representative becomes imminent. The day after the article’s publication, we (The Voice Newspaper) also published the reaction of Seedy Ceesay, Administrative Secretary of NPP. We also gave space to Dou Sanno, Presidential Adviser, and President Adama Barrow, so we did justice to the publication as required by our profession.”
Veteran journalist who was arrested multiple times during the past regime of Yahya Jammeh continue to reveal that the President’s Lawyers have conditioned the paper to not only apologize but also send them a copy of their apology letter that they will edit before its publication.
Protesting that this is unfair and unethical, they say it is conditioning the paper to apologize in a tune that the President’s Counsel wishes.
He also disclosed to TAT that The Voice Newspaper will fittingly reply to the President’s lawyer’s letter as due consultations with the Newspaper’s lawyers have been completed.
Meanwhile, Prominent Human Rights Activist and Press Freedom Advocate Madi Jobarteh condemns President Barrow’s lawyers’ threats to the editor and his Newspaper.
“I hereby condemn in the strongest terms the baseless and cowardly threat directed at Musa Sheriff and his Newspaper, The Voice, by none other than President Adama Barrow through his lawyers.
The Voice Newspaper has a right to write about the President’s public and private life simply because he is the President. If the President does not want his public and private life discussed, he should refrain from being a President.
Jobarteh said: ” Therefore, I hereby condemn the President for this action, which is tantamount to intimidation and violation of the freedom of the media, which is guaranteed by the Constitution.
I call on the GPU to strongly protest this ill-advised, baseless, and undemocratic action, which is nothing but a threat against the media.
I call on all citizens to stand in solidarity with The Voice newspaper and its editor, Musa Sheriff. The President’s threat is dictatorial and a severe violation of the Constitution, for which I call on National Assembly Members to take action against the President.”
