The Point newspaper claims that one of the 37 inmates whom President Adama Barrow recently pardoned is Pap Ibrahim Khalilulaye Thiam, a Senegalese national who was found guilty and given a death sentence in 2019 for the murder of Fatou Loum. The deceased, Fatou Loum, was murdered in her beauty salon in January 2018 at Kololi with her mouth gagged and her hands and legs tied.

A Point newspaper’s source confirmed that Thiam was pardoned due to his worsening medical condition, which has led to multiple surgeries and his deportation to Senegal, but not for any other reason.

President Barrow pardoned 37 inmates, including Pap Ibrahim Khalilulaye Thiam and Bamba Banja, former Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Fisheries, for corruption.

The Gambia’s Minister of Interior, Siaka Sonko, announced that Pap Ibrahim Khalilulaye Thiam was pardoned due to medical reasons. The Ministry of Interior and the Gambia Prison Service collaborate to recommend pardons, with Thiam’s current health being a key factor. An independent panel, including officials from the Ministry of Justice, also reviews the list of recommended prisoners.

“They have a list of all the prisoners in the country. They will also look at the list and see the reason why those prisoners need to be pardoned. That panel has the final say,” Minister of Interior Siaka Sonko claimed.