The Ministry of Interior with the Centre de Diagnostic et de Recherché en Medecine Moleculaire (CDRMM) one of Africa’s leading scientific molecular center in Senegal on Wednesday 19th July signed a Fourty-Eight Million dollar project in revolutionizing the art of fighting crimes in the Gambia at a ceremony held at its office in Bertil Harding Highway.
By Awa B. Bah
The project look to ensure proper investigations backed with scientific proofs as well address DNA, balestic, biological investigations, cyber investigation, documents examination that will be conducted at this center.
Other issues that will be investigated under this project are rape cases, human exhumes examinations, and drug related to produce real evidence. The state of the earth facility will also enhance suicide programs and trainings of students and professionals particularly law enforcement bodies
The Minister of Interior Mai Ahmad Fatty said the Gambia has been struggling for the past fifty years to achieve significance in the fight against crime, adding that half a century after independence this dream has now reached not only Gambia but by the sub region.
The completion of the project he noted will be a greater mile stone in integrating police services, potential to attract international funding for police forces through cooperation with international security forces and organizations to provide efficient crime prevention mechanisms as well, said Fatty.
This project he said is a fulfillment of a promise by the new government to keep the Gambia safe and secure as well as to provide a judicial system that is second to known in Africa, adding that a judicial system that is characterize by free and fair evidential processes and a criminal jurisprudence that would be the envy of Africa.
The project he said went through several processes for months of consultation between the various stakeholders and will be number one in the Africa sub region and one of the best in the world.
The relation between Senegal and the Gambia he said is one of the best in African countries and we are proud that this project is pioneered by a Senegalese showing Africans can do things on their own by protecting its sovereignty and independence.
The future of fighting crimes Fatty noted is in technology and the Gambia he noted has difficulties with proving cases before courts, adding that Police investigation have been fraud with inefficiency and ineffectiveness as a result of not having the tools to produce and provide the evidences necessary to secure conviction before courts of law.
Fatty remarked that having this facility in the Gambia will cement a truthful international security organization such as Interpol, FPI, and CIA and will create direct and indirect employment for the Gambian citizens.
He however extends thanks and appreciation of the government of the Gambia to the sister republic of Senegal for the confidence and support noting that this project will have a positive impact in addressing security and health of the Gambia.
Dr. Cheikh Tidane Sy director general Centre de Diagnostic et de Recherché en Mececine Moleculaire CDRMM said the project will cover a variety of impacts in the Gambia including security as without security no development will be achieve. He said that security now goes with scientific research and technology, adding that security is well represented under this project as it will allow investigations and raise alarm for crimes to serve better justice.
The other impacts of this project he said will be in the medical and scientific field. The same approach that is used in hospitals he revealed will be used to detect early diagnostic diseases and once this project is implemented in the Gambia, no more need for patients to travel outside the country for medical services. Sy thanked the government of the Gambia and the ambassador of Senegal to the Gambia for the collaboration, support and tireless involvement in the project.
The Minister of Tourism and Culture Hamat Bah said the signing of this project marks a history in the political history of the new government of the Gambia as the barrow administration wants to prove a case to the Gambian people, adding that the new government will make sure that Gambians benefit as much as they expected. This project he noted will further deal with crimes but will also address medical tourism matters as it will address the problem of Gambians travelling abroad for medical attention.
Professor Ndiaye Senegal Ambassador to the Gambia said that Gambia and Senegal are two special countries in the region as there is no comparison between the two countries in the world.
He said the relationship between Senegal and the Gambia did not start today, adding that the project will go a long way in increasing the force of the judicial systems and the wellbeing of the medical services in the Gambia. The relationship between the Gambia and Senegal he said is healthy and that the two countries have been benefitting one another.
Ndiaye however urged both citizens to jealously guard the cordial relationship that exist between the two countries.