By Buba Gagigo
Chief of Jarra West apologised to Jarra Sey Kunda for imposing on them a rival Alkalo and imprisoned those opposed to the move.
Yahya Jarju Sey offered the apology to the natives of the rural settlement during his testimony at the Truth Commission on Wednesday when the Lead Counsel Faal asked him whether he would apologise to the people for the act; after he [Yahya] agreed that he had acted unlawfully by doing so.
“What I would tell them is that, because if you acted contrary to the law, you are wrong. Therefore, I would apologise to them [People Jarra Sey Kunda]that what I did to them was not right,” he submitted.
The Chief agreed he tried at the District Tribunal presided over by himself, the people of Sey Kunda who contested his appointment of another alkolo for the village.
However, Chief Jarju Sey alleged that it was Lamin Darboe the Governor at the time, who told him that as per the 1997 Constitution, Kemeseng Jammeh, the Alkalo at the time cannot serve as an Alkalo because he was a member of the National Assembly.
Faal put to the witness that Mr. Jammeh as a parliamentarian knew the law and asked him whether he wanted the Commission to believe that Jammeh wanted to violate the Constitution, and the witness responded in the affirmative.
Then, Faal read a letter made by Kemeseng in which he said that his brother passed away and was supposed to replace his late brother being next in line as the successor. In the said letter, Jammeh stated that he cannot serve as Alkalo as per Section 59 of the 1997 Constitution.
After Kemeseng declined to succeed his late brother as Alkalo, the people of Sey Kunda unanimously selected one Alagie Saro to serve as their Alkalo.
Then, the Jarra West Chief claimed that he was not aware of the unanimous decisions of the people of Sey Kunda to select Alagie Saro as the Alkalo; adding he did not select an Alkalo but only recommended it because it cannot be left vacant.
“I did not select the person (Alkalo), I recommended him to be Alkalo because the village cannot be left without an Alkalo,” he further replied after Counsel Faal asked whether he as Chief has the power to appoint an Alkalo,” Jarju Sey said.
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