MENTALLY ILL PATIENT STILL DETAINED AT MILE TWO PRISON Family denied access

Mustapha Jallow A mentally ill young man, Ambu Drammeh, who was arrested and detained by men in plain clothes, is said to be still under detention without trial at Mile two prisons since Foroyaa’s last publication on him, on November 18th, a reliable source informed this paper. A magistrate of the Brikama court ordered for Ambu Drammeh to be taken to Tanka Tanka Psychiatric Hospital to undergo treatment, but he is still said to be in incommunicado detention without bail or access to his family. According to the family members, they visited the Mile two prison on several occasions where the prison officials confirmed that he was there but that they could not have access to him. The family said on Tuesday 25 November, 2014, they re-visited the prison but were denied access to him by the prison officials. Mr. Ambu Drammeh has been detained for more than 72 hours without being brought before a court of Law as provided by the Constitution of The Gambia. Family members said the reason(s) for his arrest and detention at Mile two prison are not yet known to them. However, the family still appeals to the head of state to release their loved one who is incommunicado since his arrest by the state security agents. It could be-called that the members of state security agents came to Ambu’s home in Farato before the start of the Muslim month of Ramadan, looking for him. Family said security agents told them that the younger brother’s Birth Certificate and National Identity Card, together with a set of prayer beads and pair of shoes, were found at the Banjul International Airport where the presidential aircraft is parked. He said the agents waited for him until he returned home only to pick him. He said after ascertaining facts on him, he was eventually released by the said authorities and he later returned home. The family members said less than a week after Ambu left for Kerr Pateh to take local treatment; the state security agents came for him again but they informed them that he had left for the village. According to the family, the security agents went to his village and picked him up and later brought him to Police headquarters in Banjul. “We were told by the police that he was held there for only two days and then taken away. When we checked for him at the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), we were told that he was not with them. We searched for him at the Brikama and Yundum police stations, as well as Tanka Tanka, but he was nowhere to be found,” narrated Ambu’s elder brother.  ]]>