GAMBIAN ARMY CHIEF MISINFORM PRESIDENT JAMMEH ABOUT THE DETAINED KANILAI PATROL TEAM SOLDIERS!

By An Insider

It was back in July 8^th of 2010, when President Yahya Jammeh parted company with four of his most trusted security aides in Kanilai. The men were arrested, and detained at the Mile Two Central Prison, following an automobile accident involving one of their colleague Musa Sarr, who is said to be at large at this hour.

The accident, which took place at Farabantang, near the University of The Gambia Annex campus, claimed the lives of  some civilian friends of Musa Sarr. Mr. Sarr, was returning from his Casamance cannabis shopping trip when the accident occurred, my informant said.  But sadly, our ill-informed President, as usual, was made to believe that Mr. Sarr was driving from Kanilai when the incident occurred, which is far from the truth.  

Today, Mr. Jammeh will hear the true story about what transpired on the day in question since his former State Guard Commander Lamin Bojang is not properly briefing him.

Soldier Musa Sarr, was attending a naming ceremony during his off duty, when he took the State House vehicle from the garage where it was being repaired in Brikama, and headed for Casamance to buy cannabis with his civilian friends.  It was during their way to Banjul, when the car crashes in Farababantang.

Mr. Jammeh, was misled by his former State Guard Commander Brigadier General Lamin Bojang about the events leading to the Farababantang accident involving the State House vehicle.  Mr. Bojang, a man, who used to command a lot of respect from some  of his peers here in Banjul has ruined the lives of  his comrades by falsely accusing them of an incident they  do not have any knowledge about. The soldiers name herein are perishing in prison thanks to Lamin Bojang’s misinformation briefing to the Head of State. The men are currently detained at cell number Seven at the Mile Two Security Wing.

1.     Wo2  Bai Lowe

2.   Staff Sergeant Abdoulie Jallow

3.   Lance Corporal Anthony Mendy (currently seriously ill)

4.   Lance Corporal Sang Mendy

5.    Ex- Lance Corporal Abdoulie Sarr (Brother of Absconded soldier Musa Sar)

It’s imperative to note that Abdoulie Sarr was arrested shortly after the absconding of his brother Musa Sarr from the jurisdiction of The Gambia. Abdoulie Sarr is no longer in active duty, but he is being punish because of his brother’s escape.

It’s also worthy to note that Lance Corporal Anthony Mendy is between “life and death” at this hour, as he is seriously ill. He was briefly admitted, and discharged from hospital. The Prison Command are second guessing as to what to do with Mr. Mendy due to the gravity of his illness.  

A Freedom Newspaper roofing informant, who met with Mr. Mendy today, reported that the soldier is likely to die if urgent measures are not taken to cure him. Mendy is suffering from stomach pain, and has been denied treatment by prison authorities. The soldier’s repeated request for medical treatment has fallen into deaf ears, my source said.  

Wo2  Bai Lowe, Staff Sergeant Abdoulie Jallow, Lance Corporal Anthony Mendy, and Lance Corporal Sang Mendy were part of the Kanilai Patrol Team headed by former Army Captain Sana Manjang, now an army Major. Our source therefore wondered why the above mentioned soldiers are being unjustly punished when their colleagues such as: Major Sana Manjang, Staff Sergeant Malick Manga, and Sergeant Sulayman Sambou are being let go scot free. The source said Manjang, Manga, and Sambou are Jollas and that was one of the reasons why they were being favored by the former State Guard Commander Lamin Bojang.

“They were all on the same patrol team. Why detaining their comrades  and leaving the rest? This is a clear case of discrimination, and tribalism. Oga has been misled by Lamin Bojang. These soldiers are innocent. They have no clue about what happened on the day in question. Musa Sarrr acted on his own to traffic Canabis together with his friends from Casamance to The Gambia. It’s dishonest for Lamin Bojang to withhold information to Oga just for the sake of implicating his subordinates. He knew for a fact that the vehicle was not from Kanilai, as he told Oga, but was coming Casamance,” said my source.

“These people have been languishing in prison since July of 2010. No charges have been proffered against them. This is the type of Gambia we are living in today. People are being falsely accused, and thrown in jail for years without trial.  The President is not being fed with the right information by those who are supposed to brief him accurately. If Anthony Mendy dies today in prison, people will in turn say it’s President Yahya Jammeh who killed him. He needs to be properly brief with the right information to save the lives of innocent detainees.”

Editors analysis: The Red Cross Society and other rights groups should visit The Gambia and demand to be availed with the opportunity to assess the condition of the Mile Two inmates.  The inmates deserve better treatment and speedy trial if there are legitimate charges proffered against them.

Confining detainees to prison for such a length of time without charges, or trial,  amounts to an affront to the constitution—which guarantees for the respect of the basic rights, and liberties of all Gambians, and non Gambians alike.  What’s happening in The Gambia today is unacceptable.  Detainees rights should be respected all cost! One is presume innocent until proven guilty by a competent court of law.  Unless, Mr. Jammeh want to tell us that The Gambia is a nation of jungle law. In that, there is no rule of law in this country.  People’s fate are being determined by an individual and not courts.  This is rather sad!

In situations like this, there is bound to be a collapse of the country’s social fabric, which is a recipe for instability.  Stop the false arrest, detentions, and tortures! Gambia deserve better for heaven sake.