5 AGRIC OFFICIALS IN POLICE DETENTION FOR 8 DAYS

By Mustapha Jallow Families of the five Agric officials, who were granted bail by the Banjul high court but later arrested by the police, have said that they are still held at the station at police headquarters in Banjul for eight days now (today). The five officials who were re-arrested and detained are Madam Ada Gaye, former Agriculture Permanent Secretary, Mr. Fafanding Fatajo, former Project Coordinator of FASDEP, Mr. Omar Jammeh, former Financial Controller, Mr. Foday Jadama, former Deputy Director of Soil and Water Management Services (SWAMS) and Dr. Abdou Ceesay, former Director of Livestock Services. According to family sources, the five officials are placed in police cells. When asked whether they have accessed to them, one of the distraught looking relative said “We were only allowed to bring them food to break their fast but not to sit down and talk to them.” When contacted yesterday afternoon to enquire about why the five were re-arrested and detained after having already been granted bail by a superior court, ASP David Kujabi, the police Public Relaion Officer (PRO), said “I did not go to work for two days now but I’ll go tomorrow (today) to be available for further comments on the matter.” It was earlier reported that the five officials received phone calls between 6 pm and 7 pm on Wednesday, 1 July, inviting them to the Kairaba Police Station and that upon their arrival they were briefly detained before being transferred to Police headquarters in Banjul where they are still held. The five, however, were initially granted bail by the high court but later picked up by the police and taken before Magistrate Momodou S.M. Jallow on Thursday, 2 July, 2015 for the magistrate court to order for the remand of the accused persons. The presiding magistrate denied the application and ordered that the accused persons should be taken back to the police and be granted bail and for the matter to be handled by the high court.]]>