Following our Friday publication, Musa Batchilly, the leader of the new opposition Gambia Action Party (GAP) admitted in an interview that he owes Mariama Joof, a Dakar-based Gambian medical doctor.
In an earlier morning interview with Star FM Radio, Batchilly admitted that he owes Ms Joof and described media report as character assassination.
“This is not about debt, it is about character assassination and I accept owing Mariama Joof , I will never run ‘I am a Loin’. The Voice newspaper stated that I run from my home that is character assassination. I will pay Mariama and people’s owe me too;” he said.
GAP leader said, he owe peoples and to this extend he admitted it during his interview with QTV. He urged Mariama Joof to take it easy, that the world is small and he is doing everything in his power to pay her back.
Below we reproduce the court proceeding by The Chronicle
Court Orders GAP Leader Batchilly to pay 3 Million CFA Debt or Face Imprisonment
The Kanifing Magistrate Court has ordered Musa Batchilly, the leader of the new opposition Gambia Action Party (GAP) to pay three million CFA Francs (at least D255,000) debt to Mariama Joof, a Dakar-based Gambian medical doctor, or face imprisonment.
In January, the court ruled that Batchilly owed Ms. Joof the sum since September 2018, and ordered him to make the payment which he defaulted. On Thursday the court issued a sermon for him to appear before the magistrate to explain why he didn’t fulfill his promise to pay the money. He told court that he’d make the payment by July 27th.
Ms. Joof told The Chronicle that Batchilly rang her from Bamako in Mali “crying and pleading that I should help him with some money to buy two air tickets to Kigali in Rwanda where he was to attend a youth conference.”
“Since September 2018, I made all efforts to recover my money from Batchilly without success, and this resulted to court action.”
Meanwhile, Batchilly has told The Chronicle that the court case would not dampen his public image.
“It’s true I owe her money and I’m willing to pay. Because of my financial situation I couldn’t honour the agreement. I don’t mind you publish this story because it cannot do any harm to me. I’m credible and no one can bring me down except Allah,” he told The Chronicle.
Batchilly was a former Treasurer of the opposition Gambia Democratic Congress (GDC). But he recently left the party to launch GAP. In a television interview, he promised to make an effective impact within thirty days if he becomes president. He also threatened to expose ‘massive corruption’ in the President Adama Barrow administration. Credit /Sources- www.chronicle.gm
