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Momodou
Denmark
11823 Posts |
 Posted - 29 Oct 2009 : 19:11:34
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UDP Condemns Femi Peter’s Arrest
By Saikou Ceesay
The main opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) has condemned in strongest term, the arrest and subsequent prosecution of its Campaign Manager Mr. Femi Peters at a press conference held at the party’s bureau in Banjulon Tuesday 27 October.
Lawyer Darboe, the party leader told journalists that UDP considers the arrest and prosecution of Peters as unlawful as the party is a registered political party whose actions were never found wanton by the community or laws of this country. “We are of the view that it requires permit for any assembly to be held, which we have seriously observed and on several occasions we requested for permit from the Inspector General of Police Essa Badgie but he refused,” Darboe explained.
The UDP leader recalled that the former IGP Sankung Badgie had denied them the permit to hold rallies but after fierce legal tussle over the constitutionality of Sangkung’s decision, court ruled in favour of UDP ascertaining that it should be given permit to hold rallies. “IGP Badgie has shown utmost hostility to the UDP party”, Darboe posited. He said the minority leader Momodou K. Sanneh was refused permit to tour his constituency by IGP Badgie, while APRC members were granted permit to hold rallies in the North Bank Region which was covered by both radio and television services. Darboe said UDP will challenge the issuance of permit for political parties to hold rallies so that even APRC party will not go the police to request for permit to hold rallies.
For the Bakau rally, Darboe said he requested from the Interior Minister Ousman Sonko to influence IGP Badgie to grant them permit to hold their rallies but refused to do so. The UDP Leader told journalists that IGP Badjie is not the caliber who should hold the position of “IGP” as his act is creating image problem for this country. “It is unfortunate that that Femi Peters is charged. If anyone is to be arrested it should be UDP leader because it is UDP that held the rally not Femi Peters,” he posited.
“We are going to challenge the constitutionality of the act in court, and as the matter is in court we will continue to request for permit and if denied we will go ahead to hold rallies. It is unimaginable that the President of the Republic knows about this as the matter was mentioned on the Gambia Radio and Television Services. We expect the President to investigate what lead to this and deal with it decisively but the President is not acting, may be the IGP is abiding”.
According to Darboe, the party will seek some legal advice as to whether to take GRTS to court for failing to air their press releases. He said GRTS is a medium where public funds are spent, saying that it is unfair for them not give UDP time to air issues after meeting all the expenditures for the airing of their issues. To this end, he said some have to be subjected to indignity for others to live in dignity.
Source: The Daily News
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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