POLICE DETAINED DAILY NEWS REPORTER!

Gambian police officers attached at the provincial-town of Brikamaba Friday 6 January,  detained Momodou S. Jallow, a reporter for the privately-owned The Daily News Newspaper over a story the paper ran on its Wednesday 5 2012 edition, the Freedom Newspaper can report.

The story captioned, “presidential Hajj Package Scandal Chief Baldeh Allegedly Bribes Lover” detailed allegations that the Chief of the district issued President Yahya Jammeh’s annual hajj package meant for ruling APRC party supporters  to his lover. But the Chief denied the allegations.

After brief detention at the Brikamaba police post, which is  about 250 kilometers from the capital city Banjul, the reporter was transferred to the Bansang police station for further interrogation.

The Gambia has been  a risky place for journalists. So far three journalists have been murdered under the administration of dictator Yahya Jammeh. The murdered journalists include: the late Managing Editor of the Point Newspaper Deyda Hydara, Pa Omar Barrow, a Red Cross Volunteer and News Editor for the defunct Senegalese radio Sud Fm, and of recent the Daily Observer Crime reporter and Sub-Editor Chief Ebrima Manneh.