Alleged Coup Financier Granted Bail

By Yero Jallow

Texas real estate developer pleaded not guilty to charges brought against him by the United States Government in violation of the Neutrality ACT.

Mr. Cherno Njie is expected to leave Minnesota Friday by himself and to report to a “half-house” (transition house) in Texas upon arrival. While at the half-house, Mr. Njie has been given the okay to continue running his real estate business but must utilize a surrogate (third party) for internet related business operations.

Njie’s defense attorney argued that his client is a businessman without any criminal record. The defense attorney also trashed out the U.S Government attorney’s submissions as “mere allegations” and not factually established, that all the Government submitted was a “document” and Mr. Njie is innocent until proven guilty in a competent court of law. The defense attorney also noted the presence of Cherno’s wife and brother, Mrs. Fatou Njie and Ndongo Njie respectively, who flew from Texas to wittiness the court hearing.

During recess, the author of the piece approached the Government attorney for comments as to whether he knows what is happening in the Gambia, to which he humbly answered he was in a low position on assignment from the U.S Government in Washington DC.

U.S Federal Magistrate Steven E. Rau found the Gambia’s alleged December 30th 2014 Coup mastermind Cherno Njie legible for bail and decided to release him to his home town of Texas.

At that point, the Government attorney ran out of luck, and advanced that Mr. Njie was the main financier of the foiled coup. He showed a document allegedly written by the coup plotters in preparation for the takeover. That didn’t deter Magistrate Rau who took a longer recess to make that heavy call from the powers vested in him.

The Government attorney asked to be given until tomorrow morning to see if they will move on with appealing Judge Rau’s decision, which shows that this decision favored Cherno Njie. The Judge granted the U.S Government until Friday at noon to appeal.

The Minnesota Civil Rights Local chapter showed full solidarity and celebrated today’s victory. Many callers from out of state and heads of other Civil Rights called to show solidarity and to celebrate the court victory.

U.S Federal Magistrate Steven E. Rau has been hailed by many attendees of his court. Many described as him as a reasonable Judge who won’t settle for Government’s mere allegations. It is hoped and believed by what he demonstrated so far, he will deliver justice, despite the numerous odds against the accused.

Commentators after the court hearing observed that the U.S government is not having the victory they wanted on this case, as argued by the defense attorney that such “document” was not evidence, rather just “mere allegations.”

Others observed that U.S government is setting some wrong precedence by their persistence to prosecute these alleged coup plotters despite the existence of the U.S Neutrality ACT. It goes on without saying that if you are fighting any war, to make sure you are on the right side of history, in this case the U.S Government is not, by fully knowing the type of dictatorship in the Gambia, yet still playing political hypocrisy with it by persecuting people trying to liberate their country from the clutches of tyranny.

Others question if in fact the Jammeh administration will update Gambians on such development. From their track records, it is certain that they won’t.
All the three defendants have now been granted bail. They can go back to work. This is at least commendable and deserves some recognition. Will the U.S Neutrality ACT law be waived or repelled? The answer is coming to you soon…

Ends