Gambian Lawyer/Diplomat and Oxford University Scholar, Melville Robertson Roberts, has on 4th November 2021, filed a lawsuit at the ECOWAS International Court in Abuja against the Republic of The Gambia.

It may be recalled that in June of 2019, at the height of the METOO Movement, allegations of rape were made against Mr. Roberts on social media by multiple Gambian women. Mr. Roberts asserted that the accusations were an “attempted lynching” as the floodgate of accusations “started barely 2 hours before my graduation from the prestigious Oxford University in UK”.

Mr. Roberts met with the Gambian police over eight times while he remained in The Gambia for two months, during which time he was never arrested or charged. Following the extensive police investigation, the police submitted a report in early March of 2020 which in Mr. Roberts’ words “exonerated me”.

Mr. Roberts is aggrieved that “the Gambian Government failed to publicise the police report and offer an apology”. Further, Mr. Roberts asserts that the police collected valuable family jewellery from his home during the investigation and have failed to return the jewellery.

Mr. Roberts is seeking damages of $500,000 ( Five hundred thousand dollars) from The government of The Gambia. Mr. Melville Roberts is also asking the Ecowas Court to direct the government of The Gambia to return a large amount of jewelleries comprising of gold, silver, pearls and other precious stones taken by the Gambian police over 2 and a half years ago and which have not been returned. Mr. Roberts further asks that the government of Gambia publish the police report of the investigations into the allegations of rape against him.

Freedomnewspaper has not been able to get the other side of the story from the Gambian Police but would welcome a response from their Public Relations Officer.

Story written and forwarded by

Dida Jallow-Halake.