Freedom from Judicial harrassment!

Dear Friends,

Since I came on board World Pulse in 2011, it has been an environment of self expression. People appreciated the stories and made positive comments. What most of you did not know was that my organization GAMCOTRAP has been on a legal battle with the state since 2010.

After an initial 6 months of investigations by two separate panel of investigators on the 11th of October 2010, we were called to the Banjul Police and without telling us the reason we were there, we were locked up in a police cage just to later find out that we have been accused of theft. We spent the night in a police cell and followed by 9 days of remand at the Central Prisons at Mile 2.

In a bid to silence the voices that speak out for the voiceless in the communities, my Executive Director, Dr. Isatou Touray and myself were accused of theft of thirty thousand Euros from one of our partners in Spain, Yolocamba Solidaridad. However, the Director of Yolocamba Solidaridad, Begona Ballesteros Sanchez denied that she accused of theft and neither did not report us to the police nor took us to court. Yet the State prosecuted us and we were subjected to 25 months of legal harrasment.

The attempt to silence the voices calling for justice did not succeed and so GAMCOTRAP under the leadership of its Executive Director and her team, continued to reach out to communities to protect women and girls from the harmful effects of Female Genital Mutilation and other forms of gender based violence.

The long journey to justice finally came to an end on the 12th November 2012 when the Banjul Magistrate court acquitted and discharged us of theft and fraud. We wish to take this opportunity to thank all of you who have given us support both morally and financially to go through this process.

Do not be silenced no matter how difficult it is for you and your family for many vulnerable voices rely on your voice to speak for them.

Sincerely,