Human Rights Activist’s Punishment Lessened

The ten thousand dalasis fine imposed on Edwin Nebolisa, a human rights activist, convicted of giving false information to the president’s office has been reduced to just D500 after a High Court judge Emmanuel Amadi reviewed the ‘harsh’ punishment slammed on him by the Banjul Magistrates’ Court.

Edwin Nebolisa Nwakaeme, director, Africa in Democracy and Good Governance (ADG), has been sentenced to a six-month jail term and fined D10, 000 for misinforming the president’s office that his organisation is a charitable organisation and asking permission to nominate the president’s daughter as a goodwill ambassador during last year’s Children’s Rights Day.

Nwakaeme served seven months in prison before he was sentenced. He is due to be released in January 2011.

Appealing against the magistrate court’s verdict, his lawyer said the punishment was harsh and infact erroneous.