By Mustapha Jallow
Drug Law Enforcement Agency Gambia said Thursday background check on one resident of Mankamangkunda, Buba Manneh,(who was suspected of dealing in drugs), hasn’t indicated any relation between him and the President.
They added that when he was first arrested, operatives were asked to do their job and act according to the dictate of the law without any executive interference. The Anti-Narcotic Agency’s press release came in the wake of the publication of the incident by local news outlets.
See below the full text of the press release issued by the DLEA Gambia:
Acting on a tip off information, operatives of DLEAG conducted surveillance on one Buba Manneh suspected to be dealing in prohibited drugs in Mankamang Kunda village, Upper River Region on Monday 5 April 2021. Upon confirmation of his illicit activities from the surveillance team, a team was dispatched
around 21:00 GMT onwards to act on the information.
Upon their arrival at the suspect’s compound, operatives identified themselves to the residents and indicated their intention to conduct a search. When the main suspect noticed the presence of the officers, he together with an accomplice who was holding a bag suspected to be containing prohibited drugs tried to run away. The other person who was holding the bag fled from the scene and the officers couldn’t identify neither apprehend him. Buba Manneh on the other hand was intercepted by the officers and they indicated their intention to conduct a search on him and his house as well. He initially asked the officer to allow him remove all the money in his possession which he handed over to his wife before they could conduct a search on him. The officers complied and while they were about to search his house, he started shouting, creating a scene and calling for the help of his associates. His conduct and action was designed to create chaos and prevent the operatives from conducting search in his house. The scene he created attracted different people creating commotion and a state of confusion. The officers were however able to have him in handcuff after his conduct that obstructed them from performing their legally mandated duty.
The scene he created also drew the attention of PIU officers stationed at the village. Operatives handed him over to the PIU officers and returned back to base.
It is important to note that this same Buba Manneh was recently found guilty by the Basse Magistrate’s court for possession of prohibited drug (cannabis). He was sentenced to a fine of sixty thousand dalasis in default of payment to serve two years jail term
Background check on Buba Manneh hasn’t indicated any relation with the President. When he was first arrested, operatives were asked to do their job and act according to the dictate of the law without any Executive interference. The same applied to the case of Abdoulie Baldeh arrested in the same village. Operatives were given the latitude to conduct their investigation without any interference or undue influence from a quarter
While it remains the same for many parts of the country where some people engage in illicit or illegal activities, their actions are usually not sanctioned by their compatriots or neighbors
We call on all to unite and help keep our societies healthy, safe, secure and free of drugs. We must always bear in mind that drugs know no boundary of one’s race, income, religious or political affiliation. Therefore, addressing ills and associate matters relating to drug abuse and illicit drug trafficking requires concerted effort and a multi sectoral approach.
