Over 118 Security Officers Arrested Over Corruption Allegations

As Police Command Weed Out Corrupt Officers

By Staff Reporter Bakary Gibba & Pa Nderry M’Bai, Banjul

In what could be described as a major corruption crackdown spearheaded by the country’s police force—to weed out corrupt and dishonest officers from the force and other security agencies within the country, led to the arrest of one hundred and eighteen security officers, the Freedom Newspaper can authoritatively report. The arrestees include: police, Immigration, and NIA officers, who were accused of accepting bribes from foreign truck drivers in various border posts across the country. The major security graft catch—was credited to the Inspector General of police Essa Badjie, who declared  an all out war to stamp out corruption within security agencies.

The investigations were carried by some members of the police recruits—who recently graduated from the police training school, sources said. They were assigned by the IGP to secretly monitor the activities of the border security officers, who have been linked to corrupt practices by commuters.

Cab and truck drivers have repeatedly complained about the routine harassment they suffered in  the hands of some corrupt police and NIA officers,  who often demanded bribes from them, even though without having the reasonable cause to pull them over for traffic violations.

An insider at the Immigration Department said some of their men arrested were escorted by Immigration  Regional Commissioner Mr. Kebba Sanyang alias 123,  who later handed them to the police.

Sources further informed this paper that the Director General of Immigration Buba Sanyang, fondly known as  Zeal has refused to sack his men implicated in the graft, saying that there “ is no evidence” available to warrant their sacking. 

It has been gathered that the NIA also refused to let their men go in view of the stance taken by the Immigration Director, who refused to terminate the services of  his staff.

Meanwhile, IGP Badjie has dismissed over 18 officers from the police force in the wake of graft revelations involving his men. No charges were filed against the dismissed officers.