Local Government Candidate's Supporters Detained



The Independent (Banjul)

May 6, 2002
Posted to the web May 6, 2002

Makalo
Banjul

Reports reaching The Independent have intimated that three supporters of the
defeated independent candidate for the New Jeshwang ward in the local
government elections Musa Colley were detained by the Tallinding police.

The Independent has been reliably informed that the three detainees Omar
Wadda Bah the project coordinator of the New Jeshwang skill centre, Ousman
Gaye its financial controller and one Abdou Balajo were accused of alleged
arson threats on the compound of Honourable Mam Mbye Secka the National
Assembly Member (NAM) for the area and the New Jeshwang skill centre.

According to reports, after the three were bailed by one Dodou Bittaye, they
were again called to the police station on the same day together with the
defeated independent candidate and were subsequently detained for allegedly
breaking into the office of Honourable Secka who is also the administrator
of the skill centre, which was also allegedly threatened with arson. Reports
further stated that they were later released after the police visited the
skill centre.

According to Mark Sonko the whole controversy started when they decided to
support Musa Colley who was contesting as an independent candidate for the
local government elections. This decision was made after what he described
as bias selection by the APRC New Jeshwang bureau. He highlighted that at
first Honourable Secka supported their idea describing it as the only
solution to the problem. Mr. Sonko alleged that he (Secka) gave them D600 to
pay for their forms and an extra D400 for the cultural troupe 'Sabarr'
needed for the campaign.

'We were surprised after holding our first campaign rally to receive a phone
call from him telling us that he heard that we were insulting him,' he
explained, adding that it was ridiculous to burn the hand, which provided
funds for them. He revealed that on Wednesday 24 April, Omar Wadda Bah was
arrested and detained at the Police Intervention Unit (PIU) after being
accused of threatening to burn down Honourable Secka's compound and the
skill centre.

'The skill centre belongs to the community and not to Hon Secka, so how can
we burn that down,' he asked. He further said that they and their defeated
candidate went to greet the elected councilor Modou Lamin Badjie. 'We could
have stopped them from jubilating in our strong hold if we wanted to create
unrest,' he said.

Ousman Gaye, the financial controller at the skill centre claimed that on
Saturday 27 April, as they were in Mark Sonko's compound, they received a
mobile phone call from Secka's mobile (949160), insulting their mothers and
informing them that they were going to be attacked.

'We reported the matter to the police,' he said, in conformity with a
request that the police should be informed in the event of any attack.

'To our surprise, when we were on our way home, Omar Bah's son informed us
that the police were searching for us,' he said adding that when they
returned to the station, they were told by the police OC of the station
Jesus that he had received a phone call from Secka who said he was
threatened with arson.

'You see we were called and provoked at the same time while the police were
called to arrest us,' he angrily stated. He asserted that they were informed
by the police OC that they should write a statement and that they are going
to be detained until bailed. Mr. Gaye further highlighted that when they
were bailed and in the evening of the same day, as they were having a
meeting in Gomez kunda, they received another phone call that the three and
Musa Colley should report to the police.

He added that when they arrived at the police station, they were charged
with breaking into the office of Honourable Secka and some files were taken
and that D6000 was kept in his drawer. 'The files I have taken was our
meeting files and in fact those files were in my office and not his,' he
further claimed. He added that they were told to write another statement and
that they will be detained. He said the police then visited the center after
which they were released with the order that nobody should enter the skill
centre premises until Monday 29 April.

'To our surprise, when we reported to the station on Monday, all charges
against us were dropped except Omar Wadda Bah,' he asserted noting that the
charges against Mr. Bah were later dropped.

When contacted to shed light on the matter the NAM for the area Honourable
Mam Mbye Secka enquired about the source of the story, before saying that it
does not worth a newspaper headline since the problem has been amicably
resolved. He said he was in Karantaba (Jarra), Lower River Division when
received a phone call from one Mundow Bojang informing him that Mohammed
Camara, the computer instructor at the skill centre was being provoked by
the accused after asking him for the key to the main gate. He said that he
called the Tallinding police to inform them about the matter.

Honourable Secka said that later, he received another phone call to be
informed that these same individuals had opened one of his office doors and
were about to open the second one, and that some files have been taken away.
He said he does not know the motive behind them breaking into his office and
what they had taken away but claimed that he kept some cash in his office
drawer. 'I then again informed the police about the matter, and they visited
the skill centre' he explained.





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