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Momodou
Denmark
11804 Posts |
 Posted - 19 Mar 2010 : 17:11:13
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Soldiers Detain Daily News Reporters
By Abdoulie Nget
Members of the Tourism Security Unit (TSU) of the Gambia Armed Forces detained for hours two reporters of The Daily News after arresting them while on an editorial assignment to find out how the work of security forces is impacting on tourism on the beach.
Messrs Sanna Camara and Saikou Jammeh left The Daily News offices on Wednesday afternoon at around 3 O’ Clock to undertake this assignment, only to be arrested by soldiers who complained that they were not given permission by the Unit to be present on the beach.
This followed an argument that erupted between The Daily News reporters and someone (name withheld) claiming to be working "for the Office of the President". The official complained that he was not a tourist and that the pictures taken by the reporters of him and "his friends" should be "deleted" from our reporters’ camera.
However, our reporters resisted, maintaining that pictures taken were relevant to their assignment and that taking pictures at public places forms part of their job. As the argument turned into a near-hullabaloo, the guy made a call from a cell phone to inform someone about this. Over the phone, the voice identified himself as a soldier at Presidential guards named Sulayman, and that we should "cooperate" with the guy. However, that didn’t sound convincing enough to the reporters who requested to see an ID to verify this. "I have my ID in my car… can you come with me there?" he said, requesting to see the ID of our reporters. It didn’t take long for soldiers of the TSU to come to the scene and asking, "Who gave you permission to take pictures here?"
"We don’t need permission from soldiers to come down to the beach for professional work," our reporters replied. "So you journalists think that it is your right to do anything you feel like ….?" Thus intensifying the argument further, and resulting in them placing our reporters under arrest.
Mr. Camara and Jammeh were taken to a base of the soldiers while waiting on the caller who appeared fifteen minutes later in a black Hyundai car. After hearing from his junior men at the base, he took sides with them and concluded that our reporters were at fault, something our reporters denied, maintaining that they were just doing their job.
Mr. Sulayman personally drove our reporters in his Hyundai car to the Senegambia TSU offices where they were interrogated by Lt. Bah, station officer. After hearing both sides of the story, Lt. Bah also said that "things have changed around here… which is why you should have come here for permission to do this kind of job here." For the guy who brought the complaint against our reporters, his concern was the picture and hence it was deleted, he needed assurance that he and his "friends" would not be part of any story that may arise as a result of the day’s mission. "You also lied to me because you told me you have ID when you don’t", he said, before leaving the station.
"To make sure that you are who you claim to be, we need to have your IDs here, said Lt. Bah to our reporters, insisting that his men will escort our reporters to their homes to bring along some identification. Under escort of two soldiers and another from the Police Intervention Unit, our reporters were driven to their respective homes in Kotu East and Bundung Borehole respectively, collected their credentials, before returning to the station around 8 O’ Clock at night.
Upon arrival at the station, our reporters were made to sign a "Bond of Undertaking", prepared by Staff Sergeant Kebbeh under instruction from Lt. Bah. This "Bond" states that our reporters will be held responsible for any "funny or otherwise" publication regarding bumsters or the Tourism Development Area.
National ID cards of our reporters were photocopied and attached to this document, before our reporters got released. Meanwhile, our reporters requested to see detainees at the station, majority of whom were bumsters; but were met with a "No". Lt. Bah however, cautioned our reporters that signing that document signifies a commitment they are bound to honor. "And don’t do anything that will make us bring you here again."
Source: Daily News
Related Topics:
1. Youths Decry Soldier “Brutality” in Tourism Area
2. Tourism Development Area Should Be Demilitarized
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