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| Momodou |
Posted - 08 May 2025 : 22:55:37
GPU condemns MCG, NHRC leaders for pressuring journalist to exonerate Tambadou
Fajara, 8 May, 2025 - The Gambia Press Union (GPU) has learnt with shock an attempt by the leadership of the Media Council of The Gambia (MCG) and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to get The Republic to issue a statement that seeks to exonerate former justice minister Abubacarr Tambadou of any alleged wrongdoing in a story published by the investigative outlet on April 30, 2025.
The story “The Assets of Gambia’s Former Dictator go for a Song” raised a number of concerns including alleged lack of transparency, corruption and conflict of interest in the sale of the assets of the former president Yahya Jammeh.
In an attempt to protect the reputation of the former minister, the MCG’s Executive Secretary, Bai Emil Touray, invited Mustapha K. Darboe, the outlet’s Editor-in-Chief, to a “meeting with the Media Council” that was scheduled for 6th May, 2025 at the NHRC office in Kotu without any prior notice of the subject of the meeting.
Together with the Chairperson of the MCG Governing Council, Baboucarr Cham, and the Chairperson of the NHRC, Emmanuel Daniel Joof, the three leaders of the two institutions laid out the following on behalf of Tambadou – clearly based on public perception of the story and the opinions members of the public formed after reading the story:
1. That the story has caused confusion
2. It has been misunderstood as an indictment of ex–minister Tambadou
3. Tambadou was given 5 days to reply (suggesting that The Republic was unfair)
4. That The Republic refused to give due consideration to Tambadou’s opinion
5. That the magnitude of the harm being done to Tambadou is huge
6. That word going around suggests that Mustapha was paid to do the story
7. That the timing is bad considering Tambadou is a nominee for the position of a judge at the International Court of Justice
The leaders of the MCG and NHRC concluded by asking Mustapha K. Darboe “to consider the idea of a joint statement with Tambadou where we will declare that our story did not indict the former minister. And that the people misunderstood it.” The Republic has rejected the idea of a joint statement.
It is GPU’s view that The Republic’s story has not breached any ethical standards and conforms with the Cherno Jallow Charter of Ethics for Journalists’ provisions that require journalists to “uphold the public’s right to fair, accurate, balanced information of issues and events of public interest.”
The Gambia Press Union therefore condemns the actions of the leadership of the MCG and NHRC for pushing an agenda that would compromise the professionalism of The Republic and ethical journalism standards.
“It is rather unfortunate that the two leaders of the MCG and NHRC would even entertain this unacceptable agenda to get The Republic to issue a joint statement with Tambadou to protect his reputation though they are of the view that he is not indicted in the outlet’s story. And to insinuate that Mustapha may have been paid to do the story is preposterous,” GPU Secretary General, Modou S. Joof, said.
The MCG and NHRC leadership also insinuated that if The Republic failed to do a joint statement with Tambadou, the former minister could consider legal actions, Mustapha K. Darboe told the GPU on Wednesday. “What the MCG and NHRC leaders did amounts to intimidation of a journalist and is highly unacceptable and a significant departure from the ideals upon which these two institutions were founded,” Joof said.
“There is no basis for the concerns that they have raised since they have not pointed out any ethical violations in the story, and for the fact that an ethical violation complaint has not been officially lodged with the Council and the involvement of the NHRC who is not a member of the MCG makes it even more worrying,” GPU President, Isatou Keita, said.
“The suggestion to do a joint statement with a subject of an investigative report to tweak the facts of the story in his favour and to shield him from accountability is unheard of in journalism, and would amount to a breach of journalism ethics, dent the reputation of The Republic and erode public trust in them,” Keita said.
In order to maintain the independence, integrity and sanctity of the MCG, an independent self-regulatory body established by the GPU in 2018, the GPU Board has decided to recommend to the MCG Governing Council to relieve the Executive Secretary, Bai Emil Touray, of his duties with immediate effect. He no longer represents the values and principles upon which the MCG was established, and therefore cannot continue to lead its secretariat. The GPU will work with the Governing Council to identify a new executive secretary.
The GPU also urges the leadership of the MCG and NHRC to refrain from any further acts of intimidation against Mustapha K Darboe and The Republic. We advise that if any party has a legitimate ethical concern about The Republic’s story, they should file a complaint with the Media Council’s Ethics Panel. |
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