A man said to be a close ally of President Yahya Jammeh of The Gambia filed a suit in the United States of America against the US-based online Freedom Newspaper, its editor, Pa Nderry M’Bai and Freedom Newspaper Incorporated, the publishers.
Amadou Samba, a businessman and the publisher of pro-government Banjul-based The Daily Observer newspaper demanded that the Freedom Newspaper make public names of its sources and staff and their contacts in the Gambia within thirty days, from August 25, 2010.
According to a writ signed by Philip R. Isley, a North Carolina lawyer, Samba would head for court if the newspaper failed to meet his demand and would then claim a damage of US$10,000 for his client.
The Freedom Newspaper had in an article in 2009 falsely reported that Samba had been arrested over a coup attempt. The newspaper had also linked Samba to drug trafficking.
The suit came after the newspaper had retracted the stories and published rejoinders.