A highly placed source close to the Department of Justice says Marie Saine Firdaus, the nation's Attorney General and Justice minister, has not been dismissed from her post.

According to the source, Ms Firdaus was taken ill last Monday and has since not return to office after her travel to Geneva, Switzerland, where she attended a UNICEF conference.

"What triggered the speculation of her dismissal was the fact that president Jammeh had asked magistrate Pa Harry Jammeh if he was interested in the attorney general's post. But Pa Harry declined the officer, because he told the president that he was too inexperianced after serving only a year as a magistrate", the source said.

Our source however, hinted that Ms Firdaus is merely buying time because president Jammeh was not pleased with her efforts to defend his government at the Geneva conference.

"Quite frankly, president Jammeh is soul-searching for her replacement, which could come in anytime. But until then, Marie Saine Firdaus remains the attorney general and minister of Justice - she was never fired as reported by the online media", the source concluded.