By Kemeseng Sanneh (Kexx)
Former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC), Sainabou Martin-Sonko, has filed a defamation suit against Tobaski Sibi, a nominated Councilor in the KMC. She is asking for a One Million Dalasi from the politician. Sainabou is a civil servant.
The lawsuit filed by Sainabou Martin came from an interview Tobaski Sibi had with Journalist Seedy Njie in a program called “Torchlight”. According to Sainabou, during the interview, Tobaski Sibi made statements that were defamatory and damaging to her reputation
According to Sainabou Sonko’s statement of claim, Tobaski Sibi made false and misleading allegations, including claims that she forged the signature of the Mayor of Kanifing Municipal Council. She said the accusations have caused significant distress and harm to her personal and professional standing.
The statement stated that her brother, Pa Janneh, who resides in Finland, forwarded an audio message to her. The message contained Tobaski Sibi’s statements in an interview conducted by a Gambian journalist named Seedy Njie in a program called the Torch Light. It added Sibi made several allegations regarding the Local Government Service Commission and claimed that she forged the signature of the Mayor of Kanifing Municipal Council. She added that the statements were inaccurate and misleading and intended to harm her reputation.
She said she has never forged anyone’s signature throughout her life. She stated that Tobaski Sibi asserted that the matter was reported to the police, but due to the intervention of the Ministry, the case could not proceed, which she regarded as false and aimed at tarnishing her reputation in the eyes of respectable members of society.
She explained that the Staff Welfare Association of Kanifing Municipal Council entered into a loan agreement with Agib Bank Gambia Ltd, and she signed as a guarantor of the loan because of her position in the KMC then and not being personally involved in the transaction.
According to her statement, her family is very stressed about the allegations and it has caused her a lot of stress and has greatly disturbed her in her work and life as a mother, a wife, and a civil servant. She stated that the publication of the audio was meant to disparage her in the eyes of right-thinking members of society and to stain her image and reputation.
She pointed out the defamatory words as “Then, we have the corruption scandal involving Baboucarr, Sainabou Martin and others. What happened was that Sainabou Martin was forging the signature of the Mayor.”
She said the words have criminal imputation. She added that neither Tobaski Sibi nor the Kanifing Municipal Council reported any case of forgery against her. She maintained that she was never prosecuted for any case of forgery.
“In fact, there are two civil cases pending before the High Court annex between Kanifing Municipal Council Staff Welfare Association Vs. Sainabou Martin Sonko and others, Civil Suit No: HC/245/23/C0/046/D2 and Kanifing Municipal Council Vs. Sainabou Martin Sonko and others, Civil Suit No HC/471/21/MF/141/F1 and both cases are pending before the court,” the statement of case indicated.
She said the words of Tobaski Sibi not only prejudice the hearing of the cases before the court, but also undermine the independence of the Judiciary where she gave herself the liberty to comment adversely on the cases.
Sainabou said she is from a decent family and has a very good upbringing, and the words, which went viral on social media, caused great pain and suffering to her and her family, especially her children, who are being mocked at school about her mother being accused of a criminal act.
She is claiming the Sum of One Million Dalasi (D1,000,000) being damages for the defamation of her character. She is asking for a permanent injunction to prevent Tobaski Sibi and his associates from publishing any further defamatory statements about her. She further asked for interest on the awarded amount at a rate of 23% from the date of filing until the date of judgement and interest at a rate of 4% from the date of judgement until the date of payment. Finally, she is asking for compensation for her legal and administrative fees amounting to One Hundred Thousand Dalasi (D100,000).
