By Amadou Manjang
In a striking contrast to statements made in Parliament, Omar Sarjo’s lawyer, Babucarr A.M.O Badjie, has denied claims by the Minister of Defense, Sering Modou Njie, that he is engaged in discussions with the Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) to resolve the long-standing case of his client.
During a parliamentary session on Wednesday, Minister Njie told lawmakers that they believed Sarjo’s lawyer was in dialogue with the CDS regarding the resolution of Sarjo’s case.
However, in an exclusive interview with Foroyaa, Badjie strongly refuted this, stating that the CDS is refusing to engage with him on the matter.
Omar Sarjo, a former corporal in The Gambia Armed Forces, was dismissed in 2017 after allegations surfaced that he had gained admission into the army through fraudulent means. It was speculated that he is a son of MFDC leader, Salif Sadio, an allegation that was vehemently denied by the former soldier and Salif Sadio in a press conference held in February 2022. However, the High Court later ruled that his dismissal was unconstitutional, declaring that it violated the 1997 Constitution. Despite this ruling, Sarjo has yet to be reinstated or compensated, with the Ministry of Defence claiming that they cannot act on the court’s judgment due to its declarative nature, as opposed to an executive ruling.
Minister Njie further explained to lawmakers that the legal advice from the Ministry of Justice stated they could not enforce the judgment, as it was not an executive order. When pressed by Foni Kansala’s lawmaker, Almami Gibba, on why justice had still not been served despite the judgment being made five years ago, the Minister responded by insisting that the judgment did not explicitly mandate reinstatement or compensation. Gibba, however, countered that the judgment clearly mentioned both reinstatement and compensation, which the Ministry had failed to implement.
When asked whether the Ministry would work alongside Sarjo’s lawyer to resolve the matter, Minister Njie responded affirmatively. However, in his statement to Foroyaa, Sarjo’s lawyer firmly contradicted this, stating there had been no engagement with the Ministry or the CDS on his client’s case.
“They are refusing to engage me,” Badjie said, underscoring the continuing stalemate in the case.
