By MUHAMMED S. BAH
Bakary Kanteh a Gambian Spanish National has called on the Chief Justice of the Gambia to intervene so that he can have access to records of court proceedings in 2011 and 2012 respectively.
Mr. Kanteh said he spent weeks in the country trying to get these documents from the Judiciary but his efforts still remain futile. Kanteh who looked so uneasy and desperate walked into the Foroyaa’s office on Thursday 8 November 2018 to raise his concerns.
Bakary said that in 2011 a judgment was made in his favour in a case between him and a lady the sister of his late brother on the right to adopt his late brother’s child.
After judgment in his favour at Kanifing Children’s Magistrate Court he said, he made efforts to take the child to Spain, because he said he could not access the child neither did he know the whereabouts of the child.
According to Kanteh, the adoption order of the court gives the impression that the biological parents of the adopted child were alive when the order was made. He emphasised that this is not correct and wanted to know who was responsible for that information as he never appeared in court to testify. “At the time of the case both parents were not alive, the father died in 2004 and the mother in 2009”. He therefore said he wants to see the records of the Judgment and the affidavit and access to them is a problem.
He said this conflicting information is causing him great harm and has undermined his reputation. He said that the information in the application for a visa and what can be inferred from the court order are conflicting; and that this conflict in information has resulted in the rejection of the visa application to UK. He said he was warned by the British home office in UK where he is currently living; that he should provide correct information if not he will not be seen as a truthful person. He also noted that he has spent about two thousand pounds just to facilitate a Visa for the child.
Bakary expressed his disappointment in the Gambia Judicial system, because of his encounter on the difficulties in getting the court records. He further said after 28 years residing in Europe he has never been accused of dishonesty and disloyalty.
