By Mustapha Jallow
Lieutenant Colonel Mai Touray, a resident of Faji-Kunda, was picked up by a group of men in black suits and taken away to an
unknown destination on Sunday, 15 January, 2017 around 9pm, a family source revealed.
Mr. Sanna Cham, the husband of Lt. Col. Touray, told this reporter at the Foroyaa office yesterday, 16 January, that his wife was arrested and taken away by men who claimed to have orders from state house.
“A group of men in black suits came to our house with two numberless pick up vehicles, one of which is black and the other one white. They parked at our gate and two of them walked into the compound and asked for my wife whom they said they want to see in private. When my wife demanded for their identification, she was shown identification indicating that they were from the Republican Guards battalion at state house. The men told my wife that they were sent to come and arrest her and asked the men to allow her put on her uniform before leaving her compound which was granted. She was later led away into one of the waiting pick up vehicles and whisked away,” the husband explained.
However, Mr. Cham said no reason was advanced as to why his wife was being arrested and taken away. He disclosed that when he and other members of the family visited her workplace at the Yundum Barracks and also the military police at state house to enquire about her, the personnel they met told them that Mai’s arrest was news to them.
“When a senior officer was met at defence headquarters in Banjul and told about my wife’s situation, he told me that he is aware of the ongoing arrests of officers but doesn’t know why she was arrested or where she is being held. We proceeded to the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and also reported it to them but they told us that she is not booked in their headquarters,’’ he disclosed.
The husband, who was accompanied by two other 2 family members, expressed their worry about the whereabouts of Lt. Col. Touray and is calling for her release.
