MAMBURY NJIE IN DETENTION FOR 7 MONTHS NOW

By Mustapha Jallow Mr. Mambury Njie, a former cabinet minister, who has served in various portfolios under the present APRC regime, has been in detention for more than 7 months. He is presently being hospitalized under the guard of operatives of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) at the Serekunda General hospital. A family source told this reporter they were expecting that Mr. Njie would be released by the authorities before the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan to enable him to rejoin his family. He, however, expressed hope that his brother will be released before the end of the fasting month for them to observe the Eid together. “We are appealing for the release of Mr. Njie who has been in detention for more than 7 months now,” said the family source. Mr. Njie has served as minister in the various ministries such as Finance and Economic Affairs, Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment, and Foreign Affairs as well as Ambassador, Permanent Secretary and Secretary General and Head of the Civil Service. He was arrested at his residence in Brusubi by NIA operatives and later taken to their headquarters in Banjul on Thursday, 9 October 2014. He was apparently detained at the NIA headquarters in Banjul for about two weeks before being transferred to SK hospital on 28 November, 2014. Mr. Njie was earlier arraigned at both the Banjul Magistrates’ Court and Banjul High Court to answer to several charges, after his removal from the cabinet of President Yahya Jammeh. He was eventually acquitted and discharged on two counts of economic crime and neglect of duty by Justice Mikailu Abdulahi of the Special Criminal Division of the High Court in Banjul on 3 July 2014]]>