FOROYAA Newspaper (Serrekunda)
Fabakary B. Ceesay and Awa B. Bah
2 April 2008
Dr. Alieu Badara Saja Taal, the former Managing Director of Daily Observer Newspaper, has on Monday, March 31st , testified in the trial of journalist Mam Sait Ceesay, the former press officer at State House.
Dr. Taal told the court that he is a part time lecturer at the University of The Gambia and at the International College of Business and Human Resource Development. He said he was the managing director of Daily Observer Newspaper up to November 2007. He told the court that he knows Mam Sait Ceesay. Dr. Taal said that his duties, as the managing director of Daily Observer Newspaper, include the management and financial base of the paper and its editorial content. He indicated that as managing director, he was responsible for the publications of all stories on the paper.
Dr. Taal, who was dressed in a light green "Kaftan", was speaking so fast that the magistrate on three occasions had to ask him to slow down his speed so that he could jot down the facts from him. Dr. Taal recalled that on September 5t , 2007, while on his way back from Kanilai with Pa Ousman Darboe, a reporter, he received an SMS text message on his mobile phone. He said that he gave the phone to Pa Ousman Darboe to read out the text message to him, which he did and that it read as follows; "Alex Dacosta appointed DPPR" (Director of Press and Public Relation). He said that the text came under the name "Sait". Dr. Taal asserted that upon his arrival at Kairaba Avenue, he read the text himself and later asked Pa Ousman Darboe to contact Mr. Ceesay to verify the story. He said they were not able to get to Mr. Ceesay, as it was around mid night. Dr. Taal said that due to the nature of the text and the marketability of the story, they decided to publish the story. Dr. Taal later identified the copy of the publication which was dated 7 September, 2007 .The publication was tendered as exhibit A. Dr. Taal said he made a statement to the police after they invited him.
During cross-examination by defense counsel Antouman Gaye, Taal said not all the stories do have by-lines like the Editorials. He admitted that the author of the said story was Pa Ousman Darboe, but was quick to point out that he has no clue where Pa Ousman is at the moment. Taal indicated that as far as he knows, Pa Ousman Darboe is no more a reporter with the Daily Observer. Dr. Taal said the caption of the story was "JT Kujabi replaced". He said they could not verify the story from Mr. Ceesay at that point in time. He told the court that the mobile phone in which the text message was sent to him was taken from him when his services were terminated by the Daily Observer, in November 2007. He said he was asked to surrender the entire materials in his possession that belong to the Daily Observer. When asked by counsel Gaye whether he is aware of the journalistic terms of "Comments are free but facts are secrets", Dr. Taal said he has never heard that in the journalistic field, but that he knew the legal implications behind it. Dr. Taal admitted that after the said publication, they decided to publish another story on the 9 September to retract the other story. When asked who was responsible for the retraction of the other story, Dr. Taal responded, "I decided what goes in and out of Observer."
At this point Magistrate Kayode Olagubutu adjourned the matter for the prosecution to bring in more witnesses. The prosecution is expected to call three more witnesses.
Man Sait Ceesay is standing trial on two counts of false publication.
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