By Ousman A. Marong
On Tuesday, the High Court in Banjul received an updated statement of defence from journalist Kebba Ansu Manneh in response to the D50 million defamation lawsuit brought against him by Environment Minister Rohey John Manjang.
During the hearing, defence counsel Junkung Jobarteh presented the revised documents, explaining that the amended defence aims to compel the minister to substantiate her allegations.
This case stems from an article published by The Alkamba Times on June 19, 2024, titled “Environment Minister, Former LRR Governor Accused of Involvement in Illegal Transaction of Seized Logs.” Minister Manjang claims that the publication was both false and malicious.
In her lawsuit, the minister is seeking D50 million in damages, a public apology to be issued across all Alkamba Times platforms, an order to remove the story from social media, and a permanent injunction to prevent any further publications on the issue.
The plaintiff’s counsel informed the court that they received the amended defence on June 22, 2026, and requested additional time to formulate a response.
According to the amended defence submitted by Manneh, he asserts that his report was grounded in information from various sources. The court documents indicate that these sources revealed that D200,000 was paid by the buyer of the seized logs, with D150,000 allegedly deposited into an account associated with the minister.
Presiding judge Justice Sonia Akinbiyi, has adjourned the case until Wednesday, July 29, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. for further proceedings.
The case is ongoing.
Photo: Credit The Alkamba Times.
