Ambassador Sheikh Tijan Hydara claimed he suffered grievous bodily harm after being allegedly assaulted by his deputy Vincent Mendy during a meeting to address office matters and improve their mode of operations in Havana, APA can report on Wednesday.
Hydara, a political ally of President Adama Barrow heads the Gambia Alliance for National Unity (GANU) party and was appointed ambassador to Cuba in 2022.
In a letter to the Gambian Ministry of Foreign Affairs dated 28th January 2024, Mr. Hydara claimed that deputy ambassador Vincent Mendy while unprovoked landed multiple blows on him causing serious injuries to his face nd lower body.
In a response letter Mendy claimed the ambassador had attempted to physically assault him and he had defended himself.
According to Ambassador Hydara’s missive, the incident happened on 25th January 2024 in full view of other Gambian and non-Gambian workers who were part of the meeting at the embassy’s offices in Havana.
Mr Hydara’s letter named those present as Lamin Jammeh, Modou Nying, Pa Bajinka and his alleged attacker Vincent Mendy who had first attacked him verbally before walking out on the meeting only to ‘barge into his office 30 minutes later to demand car keys the ambassador had retrieved from Mr. Enrique Villalon Rodriguez, one of the embassy’s drivers he had sanctioned over an alleged ‘lackadaisical attitude’ toward his work.
The ambassador had promised to write to the ministry giving more details about ‘a lot of misconduct and other acts which he cannot resolve at the level of the embassy because he was not receiving the cooperation of those concerned in those cases.
However, Hydara’s deputy alleged series of misconduct by the ambassador including treating him in contempt because of his Christian faith and acting without decorum against staff of the embassy.
Mendy has urged the ministry to launch an inquiry into his allegations against the ambassador.
WN/as/APA
