By Muhammed Sailu Bah A press release issued on Friday, 3 July, in the evening television bulletin of the Gambia Radio and Television Services (GRTS) announced that the president of the Republic of the Gambia, acting in accordance with the constitution, has pardoned 85 prisoners from Mile 2 central prison. Among the prisoners released are Mr. Modou Gaye, a former deputy Inspector General of Police, who was serving a life imprisonment for his role in an attempted coup d’etat which also involved Lt. Gen. Lang Tombong Tamba, the former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of the Gambia Armed Forces (GAF), and five others. He is the only known pardoned prisoner whose conviction was based on a politically related offence. Mr. Ebrima Bun Sanneh, the former head of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, who was convicted of corruption or white collar related crimes, was also among those given amnesty. The rest of the pardoned prisoners are all ex-convicts on common law crimes.]]>
