Family of the Nigerian-born former Chief Justice, CJ, of The Gambia, Justice Joseph Wowo, accused of requestimng bribe over a land issue, has said the judge was being persecuted on account of his nationality.
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In a document made available to Vanguard in Lagos by his elder brother, Godwin Wowo, he claimed that the bribe story was a "bunch of falsehood" orchestrated by powerful forces in The Gambia, who did not want a foreigner to be appointed CJ of their country.
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Godwin claimed that his younger brother's problems started when he was invited by The Gambia's former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Lamin Jobarteh, to help settle a dispute.
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The dispute concerns a land matter in which Justice Wowo, as a High Court Judge, had delivered a judgment in favour of a German, Bernd Dietrich, against 12 trespassers, including one Andre Sape Van Klaabergen, who was the former Minister's client before his appointment as Attorney General.