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Momodou
Denmark
11734 Posts |
 Posted - 07 Aug 2006 : 23:03:55
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Foroyaa Editorial
MR. PRESIDENT, CHECK THE NATURE OF THE ARRESTS IN BAKAU
Mr. President, if any Head of State feels that too much information, even if they tend to exaggerate, is detrimental to stability try governing without any information. It is important for you, Mr. President, to realise that you have total grip of the security forces. Your word to them is as important as the law.
Hence what you say is very important. It is therefore important to get feed back on certain actions that are counter productive.
Mr. President, since Tuesday night one Isatou Jawara, a pregnant lady, Lamin Jawara and Omar Jatta, an elderly man with hypertension have been detained. On Friday, which completed the 72 hours detention, the daughter of Omar Jatta went to request for bail along with a neighbour who was ready to volunteer to serve as surety. The police officer at Bundung Police Station told them that he was instructed not to allow anybody from Bakau to meet or see any of the detainees from Bakau not to talk about granting them bail.
Mr. President, Section 19 subsection (2) reads “Any person who is arrested or detained shall be informed as soon as is reasonably practicable and in any case within three hours, in a language that he or she understands, of the reasons for his or her arrest or detention and of his or her right to consult a legal practitioner.”
Subsection (3) (b) adds that “any person who is arrested or detained upon reasonable suspicion of his or her having committed, or being about to commit, a criminal offence under the Laws of The Gambia, and who is not released, shall be brought without undue delay before a court and, in any event, within seventy-two hours.”
This has been enforced by the courts over and over again. Hence there should have been general instruction from the SoS for the Interior that such detention without trial for over 72 hours should cease. The IGP should have been asked to comply with the law and reprimand any officer who fails to comply. This is how the rule of law is enforced. However, if no officer fears to detain a person for over 72 hours or refuse his/her contact with families to get legal counsel, impunity becomes the order of the day. This lends to criticism and public outcry.
It is our understanding that the adults Kassa Jatta, Isatou Jawara, Lamin Jawara and Omar Jatta were arrested in connection with the search for five youths, four of whom are either in grade 8 or 9. They were accused of insulting a complainant. They are Cherno Jarju, Lamin Jassey, Mamburama Jatta, Lamin Jatta and Mariama Fatty. They have since then submitted themselves to the police.
However, the adults are still under detention. We hope that you will send an independent authority to review this case and advise you accordingly.
Furthermore, the Social Welfare Department and Child Protection Alliance should also examine the condition of the youths. There is need to build a standard of best practice in handling the cases of young people in particular and the citizenry in general when it comes to arrests, detention and bail.
KASSA JATTA AND TEENAGERS DETAINED
Fabakary B Ceesay.
On Tuesday, 1st August 2006, the people of Bakau Wasulung Kunda saw the arrival of heavily armed Police Intervention Unit (PIU) personnel between the hours of 9.00 pm and 1.00 am
According to sources more than twenty five PIU officers commandeered by the Station Officer of Bakau Police Station, were armed with rifles and batons. The group of officers and their commander surrounded Jatta Kunda and demanded the arrest of some children who, they alledged, used provocative words. According to an eye witness, the S.O was told that the teenagers they were looking for where not there. It is reported that the S.O. later ordered the arrest of Lamin Jawara and his sister Isatou Jawara. The eye witness also added Kassa went to the Police station the following morning with three teenagers, and they were subsequently detained and later transferred to various Police Stations. The arrestees are in the persons of Lamin Jatta who is detained at Bakau Police Station, Omar Jatta and Lamin Jawara at Bundung Police Station, Isatou Jawara at Kairaba Police Station, and Mariama Fatty and Cherno Jarju who were taken to Bakau Police Station the following morning. Kassa Jatta was first detained at Bakau Police Station, but was later moved to the PIU Station at Kanifing from where he was retransferred to the Kotu Police Station.
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
Issue No. 62/2006, 7-8 August, 2006
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