Former senior army officer Major Alieu Sowe has alleged that he was unlawfully retired due to assumptions about his ties to former President Yahya Jammeh.
Sowe, who once managed Jammeh’s Kanilai Farm, stated that his dismissal in 2017 was politically motivated and not based on any wrongdoing. In a recent National Assembly session, Defence Minister Sering Modou Njie defended the removal of several senior officers, including Sowe, saying it was carried out under presidential authority and in accordance with the GAF Act. The minister also claimed that the officers received their full benefits.
However, Sowe disputed these claims, stating that he was forced into retirement at the age of 42 without due process and was still owed six months’ salary, amounting to D50,000. He said he was never given a clear reason for his dismissal and was not informed of any wrongdoing.
Sowe further alleged that efforts by the GAF finance director, Major Jah, to secure his unpaid salary had been ignored. He claimed that a staff member at the Personnel Management Office (PMO) told him President Adama Barrow had personally instructed that he should not be paid.
Expressing his frustration, Sowe stated that he had served the country with professionalism, especially during the political transition, and had properly handed over all military assets under his charge. He described his dismissal as a betrayal and criticized the government’s decision to forcefully retire soldiers without justification.
Determined to seek justice, Sowe said he would pursue legal action to ensure he receives his unpaid salary.
