By Abdoulie John
As the tussle between the National Sports Council ((NSC) and Gambia Football Federation (GFF) is turning into a trial of strength, the Attorney General Chambers and Ministry of Justice has issued a rebuke to media reports suggesting that it has given a legal advice recommending the suspension of three top officials of the Football Association.
“This office wishes to make it very clear that it made no such recommendation,” the Justice Ministry said in a news release issued on Friday evening and seen by this medium.
Over these past months, the two main sporting bodies have been making headlines over a continued battle that has left the future of the country’s sports in tatters. In 2017, the trial of strength between NSC and GFF prompted world football governing body to send a warning to Gambian authorities to desist from meddling into the affairs of the FA.
In another epic episode of the fight, the National Sports Council (NSC) on August 7, 2018 slapped with suspension GFF Prexy Lamin Kaba Bajo and two other officials. The move prompted the newly appointed Youth and Sports Hadrammeh Sidibeh to revoke the decision barely 24 hours.
NSC cited a legal advice from the Justice Ministry to back its decision, accusing the FA trio of being involved into tax fraud.
“The legal opinion issued by this Ministry neither made any finding of criminal culpability against the said three officials nor made any adverse recommendations against them,” the statement by the Justice Ministry added unequivocally.
The associations affiliated with GFF will go to polls on August 18, to elect a new Executive that would steer the affairs of the country’s football body.
To many observers, this latest crisis will inexorably hang over the upcoming elections…
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