Detention without Trial Update By Fabakary B. Ceesay As we enter the second month of the New Year, Foroyaa continues to monitor the continuous detention of persons who are reported to have been put under arrest some years and months ago. Many Family members have renewed their call for the release of their loved ones and family heads. Journalist Chief Ebrima Manneh, a Senior Journalist with Daily Observer Newspaper, was said to be arrested at his office in Bakau on 7 July 2006. His family said he left for work and never returned home. The family and his colleagues lamented the numerous efforts they made to establish his whereabouts but to no avail. The family said they have consulted all the concerned authorities and visited almost all the security installations across the country but they still cannot locate him. The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), in 2007, filed a suit against The Gambia Government at the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice in Abuja, Nigeria, demanding from the Court to compel the Gambia government to release Manneh. On 5 June 2008, the ECOWAS judges delivered a judgment in the absence of The Gambia government in favour of missing journalist Manneh. The judgment was made after the Gambian authorities failed to appear before the Court, even though they were said to be served with Court summons. The Court ordered the Banjul authorities to compensate Manneh the sum of 100, 000 US Dollars. The Banjul authorities failed to comment on the issue for almost ten months after the ECOWAS judgment, when the Attorney General and Minister of Justice Mrs. Marie Saine Firdaus officially stated at the National Assembly that journalist Chief Manneh is not in State custody. Mr. Kanyiba Kanyi, a local employee of Christian Children’s Fund (CCF), was reportedly missing since 18 September 2006. His family said he was picked up at his house by three plain clothes security agents on board a taxi who whisked him away in their presence without any explanation. The family has taken Lawyer Ousainou Darboe, who filed a "Habeas Corpus" against the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Director General of National Intelligent Agency (NIA) and the Attorney General, at the Banjul High Court, to release him since late 2006. Since then three judges have presided over the case and different State counsels have appeared in the case for the State. The first judge, Justice Sanji Monageng ruled against the State to produce him, which failed to happen. Again Justice Mame Mabel Agyemang (Yamoa) also ordered the State to release him, but it failed to happen. In July 2009, the third judge, Justice Joseph Wowo, decided to send the case file to the office of Chief Justice to determine the case. The family said they have lost hope. Jasarja Kujabi’s family said he was arrested at his farm in his home village of Foni Dobong, Western Region, in the summer of 2005, and never returned. They told Foroyaa that the two security agents escorted him to their house to change his farm clothes before taking him away. They said since that unfortunate evening, they have never set their eyes on him or heard anything about him. Corporal Alfusainey Jammeh, a Prison Warden and a native of Kanilai village, was reportedly missing since the summer of 2006. His family said that he was stationed at the compound of the Director General of Prison in Kanilai. The family said he was called to answer at the Police Headquarters in Banjul and never returned. They said Alfusainey later called and informed them that he was put under arrest. They told Foroyaa that they have information that he is being detained at the Mile 2 Prison. The families of former Chief of Foni Kansala, Mr Momodou Lamin Nyassi, Buba Sanyang, alias "Bubai Sanyang", Ndongo Mboob, all of Foni Bwiam in Kansala District, told Foroyaa that all the three men were picked up by people in plain clothes at their homes on the same evening of 4 April 2006. Their families said they are yet to establish their place of detention, even though they have not left any stone unturned to find them. Buba Sanyang was the chief security officer at the Sulayman Junkung Hospital in Bwiam and also served as the District APRC youth mobiliser. Ndongo Mboob was the APRC District youth coordinator, while Momodou Lamin Nyassi served as former chief. All the three men are said to have been picked up at the same time between 8pm to 9pm. Mr. Haruna Jammeh and Madam Marcie Jammeh, both natives of Foni Kanilai, were reportedly missing since the summer of 2005, and they have never been spotted or heard about since. The duo are said to be from the same family. Mr. Bakary Gassama, the former Financial Director of NIA, was arrested on 13 May 2008. The family said he was kept at the Mile 2 Prison without any Court order for four months before he was arraigned in Court on the charge of official misconduct. They said the trial did not proceed in Court on five occasions, until on 3rd December 2008, when the then Principal Magistrate, (now Justice) Edrisa Mbai of the Banjul Magistrates’ Court discharged him for lack of diligent prosecution. The family said to their amazement, he was re-arrested in the Court premises and taken to the Police Headquarters. They said he is currently being detained at Mile 2 Prison. The family said they have access to him in detention. It was reported that on 14 December 2009, Gassama appeared before Bundung Magistrates’ Court as a defence witness in the ongoing criminal case against two senior NIA Officers. Mr. Abdoulie Njie and Mr. Alieu Lowe, both residents of Faji Kunda, were said to have been arrested by armed soldiers at their respective homes shortly after the 21 March 2006, foiled coup attempt. Their families said they are being detained at Mile 2 Prison. The family said they have access to them. Mr. Ebou Jarju, a former presidential steward, was said to be arrested on 20 March 2008, in the presence of his family. It was later reported that the family had been evicted from the government residence that he was occupying with them. The family said he was detained at the Police Headquarters in Banjul until 11 January 2009 when he was released without any charges against him. The family said to their surprise, he was called to report at the Police Headquarters after a week of his release and never returned home. They said he is currently detained at Mile 2 Prison, but could not have access to him. Jarju is a native of Kombo Darsilameh, Western Region. Regimental Guard (RG), Private Alagie Saidykhan’s family said he was arrested at the Second Infantry Battalion at Farafenni Military Camp since 10 May 2009. They said they only heard that he is being detained at the Mile 2 Prison. They said they are yet to have access to him. The names of dismissed security officers, who were said to have been rounded up in late November and are still in detention, are listed below: Lieutenant General Lang Tombong Tamba, Former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of the Gambia Armed Forces, was reportedly arrested since late November and is still being held. His family told Foroyaa that they could not have access to him since his arrest. Major General Modou Lamin Bo Badjie, former Director General of NIA, is also reportedly arrested and detained. Lieutenant Colonel Kawsu Camara, alias "Bombarde,", former Camp Commander at Kanilai, is also in detention at Mile 2 Prison. Former Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIGP), Momodou Gaye, is also in custody since his dismissal and subsequent arrest in November. The family members and relatives of these detained security officers told Foroyaa that they do not know the fate of their loved ones since they were rounded up three months ago. Mr. Ngorr Secka, former Deputy Director General at the NIA and later posted as the Gambia ’s Acting Ambassador to Guinea Bissau, was reportedly arrested since 16 December 2009. Mr Secka is said to have been re-called and subsequently arrested and detained. His family said he was being detained at the NIA until 29 January 2010 and later moved to the Mile 2 Prison. They said the authorities are yet to advance any reason to them as to his re-call and subsequent detention. They added that they do not have access to him and that the authorities would not even receive clothes taken for him. Corporal Mamat Nyang, a State guard soldier, is said to be arrested some two moths ago. His family said they could not tell why he was arrested and detained up to this time without telling any thing to his family. Warden Alieu Camara, a native of Somita, in the Foni Berefet District, is also said to be in detention at Mile 2 prison for almost two months ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤