By Mustapha Jallow
For 321, as of today, Mr. Ousman Jammeh, a former deputy Minister of Agriculture in President Jammeh’s cabinet is still being 
held without charge, court appearance or access to his family, a close relative told this medium.
Speaking to one of Mr. Jammeh’s relatives during the weekend for an update on his unlawful and long incommunicado detention, he explained that the situation still remains the same regarding the family’s denial of access to him at his place of detention at Mile Two prison in the outskirts of Banjul. He said the family is worried and still wondering what he might have done to warrant this treatment as he is not yet charged for any offence or brought before a court of law.
He added that his wife, children and mother are being traumatised by the long detention and lack of access to him.
Asked whether they have made any recent attempt to visit him at Mile Two prison, the source responded in the negative, adding that all their previous efforts proved futile as the prison officers have been telling them that there is no authorization from above to allow for visits for the former cabinet minister.
The source said the family is once again calling on the authorities to facilitate the release of Mr. Jammeh to enable him re-unite particularly with his young family for the sake of the forthcoming Muslim feast of ‘Tobaski’ or Eid ul Adha.
Mr. Jammeh was picked up when he left his house on Thursday, 15 October 2015. He was enroute to Basse in the Upper River Region of the country to officiate the commemoration of World Food Day. The deputy minister’s arrest was reported to his family by the two police orderlies who were with him at the time as he was whisked away in the presence of an intelligence operative. He was first held at the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) headquarters in Banjul for 91 days before being transferred to Mile Two Prison where he is detained incommunicado since then.
