Messenger or reporter

I waddle into the screech that is Nderry’s Freedom and what do I find? Sam Sarr taking him to the woodshed over his shoot from the hip without having all the facts form of reporting. Here is a snippet of what monsieur Sarr wrote in that piece that would shame any reporter who didn’t do their homework prior to publishing unsubstantiated rumors:

With perhaps a little fact finding, based on the contents of the smear articles, you would have been able to verify the validity of Lamarana's allegations. Before threatening through my private e-mail for opening a case file about my atrocities committed in the Gambia while serving in the GNA, I think you could have used a little bit of that valuable time to check on the following. 1. On the torture of Yaya Drammeh one of the mercenaries who attacked Farafeni barracks and killed eight Gambian soldiers, Lamrana talked briefly about Mr. Lamin Joberteh the legal officer at the NIA then. Perhaps a call to Mr. Joberteh would have helped you with the information that I was from Moscow flying to Belgium when Farafeni was attacked in October 1996. By the time I arrived in the Gambia, early the next morning, Yaya Drammeh and Mballow Kanteh were already arrested and detained at the NIA. Mr. Joberteh the legal wizard mentioned in the text was all along part of the interrogation team that handled the case. The gentleman is at home with a clean conscience and as far as I know he is very honest. If he could confirm Lamarana's allegation that I tortured Yaya Drammeh then consider me guilty as charged in that case.

That was exactly what I was alluding to in this piece yesterday: Due diligence. Nderry should have taken his time to sort out the complexities involved in this story before publishing Lamarana’s side of the story. I understand the urge or should I say the itch involved in been the first person to break a story. However that doesn’t mean discarding caution especially if a story has the tell tale sign of a hit piece.

A reasonable person would respond in a more contrite manner after reading Sam’s take on things, not Nderry. He is not having any of it. The buck stops with the victims of his malicious reports. He shifted the burden of establishing their innocence onto them. This is how he put it:

Finally, we apologize for any discomfort Lamarana's pieces might have caused to Mr.Sarr, his family, loved ones and supporters. We want to assure Colonel Sarr and Lamarana Jallow himself that this paper is only interested about the truth and nothing but the truth. Lamarana is entitled to his opinion just like Colonel Sarr. If allegations of this nature are raised in the future against Sarr or any officer who served under Jammeh's government should come forward to defend the allegations and not to blame us for carrying the role of a messenger. Thanks for your attention.

Oh really… a messenger huh. Since when do journalism equates to stenography.

Nderry has a platform that is frequented by hundreds of news starved Gambians in the diaspora. It has never dawn on him that unto whom much is given, much is expected. Passing street corner rumor for reporting is just lazy to say the least.

I am not trying to absolve Sam Sarr of wrongdoing. He acknowledged his role in trying the Farafenni coupist on TV. Personally, I think that is a gross violation of their right to a fair trial and Sam should be ashamed of himself for taking part in that sham. Furthermore, Nderry's irresponsibility shouldn't make him so paranoid to start assigning personalities to Lamarana. Below is his acknowledgement of the trial by media they pulled on those coupist:

Yes we were wrong according to the law to try them on TV and being wrong again when we did it in the Kartong attack in July 1997. But to be honest with you it was more out of ignorance than a deliberate flouting of the law. I will definitely plead guilty to that allegation before any jury. But you must also understand that as a young army trying to adjust in a post-coup d'tat era, a breakthrough coup d'tat for that matter mistakes like that cannot be justified but might not be that grave as other troubling matters given the numerous young lives wasted in that senseless attack. The soldiers were not fighting back but running away from their attackers; yet one by one they murdered them in cold blood.

That old anecdote "Ignorance of the law is no excuse" comes to mind. Having said that, I would hasten to add that Nderry if he is diligent in reporting would have found all these little nuggets and the write up (if he has any talent) would make a nice human-interest story. But with Nderry that is too much to ask. Tsk tsk tsk…