The Gambia’s Attorney General’s Chambers and Ministry of Justice has today announced that it has provided Mutual Legal Assistance to the German court for witness identification and interrogation. On Thursday, the German judge in the Celle regional high court stated during his ruling in Bai Lowe’s trial that the Gambia’s Justice Ministry had not completely cooperated with his jurisdiction in order to ascertain the facts.

In a press release issued today, The Ministry of Justice of The Gambia said “Contrary to reports circulating online, the Ministry of Justice wishes to reiterate that it has on ‘numerous occasions provided Mutual Legal Assistance to the higher regional court in Germany for the identification of key witnesses to participate and testify before the competent German court and the facilitation of the interrogation of the witnesses for the case.”

In a wording seemingly meant to indicate that The Gambia and Germany are on the same page with regards to seeking for Justice on behalf of the victims under Yahya Jammeh’s regime, The Gambia’s Ministry of Justice said “‘The Ministry wishes to express profound gratitude to the German Government for its unwavering support, as well as ongoing cooperation with The Gambia Government in its Transitional Justice efforts.”

Meanwhile, the government of the Gambia said in the press release that the Attorney General’s Chambers and Ministry of Justice of the Republic of The Gambia ‘welcomes the decision rendered by the German court sentencing Mr. Bai Lowe, a former member of the paramilitary unit of the former President Jammeh to life imprisonment for his involvement in a death squad that assassinated opponents of former President Jammeh and former journalist, Deyda Hydara.