By Nelson Manneh and Momodou Jarju
Gambian rapper and activist, Ali Cham popularly known as Killa Ace has been granted bail today by the Gambia Police Force with a bond of D50,000, sources told Foroyaa.
Activists from Team ‘Gom Sa Bopp’ came out in their numbers demanding for the release of the colleague activist, Killa Ace. Other arrestees (vendors) until press time were still under police custody while negotiations were ongoing to secure their release on bail.
A source, who was at the Police headquarters in Banjul at the time of his release, said the police have indicated that negotiations are ongoing for the release of the remaining detainees on bail.
Killa Ace together with many other people were arrested on Saturday as suspects who had participated in a protest that led to setting ablaze of the Bakoteh Police Station and the residence of the Commissioner of the Anti-Crime Unit of the Gambia Police Police – Gorgi Mboob. The demonstration held on 24 July 2019 was staged by vendors of the Serrekunda Market and some youths calling on the police to stop the brutalising people especially those under their custody. For the protesters, the death of their colleague vendor, Ousman Darboe, a Sierra Leonean was as a result of alleged torture meted out to him by the Police while he was under the custody of the Anti-Crime Unit.
The Public Relation Officer (PRO) of The Gambia Police Force Superintendent Lamin Njie earlier on Monday told Foroyaa that the people who were arrested at the Serrekunda Market were still under police custody while investigations continue.
Njie told this medium that he cannot confirm the number of people arrested from the Market though he stated that the number is greater than a dozen.
The arrestees are suspected to have participated in the burning of the Bakoteh Police Station and the residence of Commissioner Mboob of the Anti-Crime Unit.
According to an eyewitness, the Officers entered the market and arrested individuals with the aid of one boy who was pointing fingers at individuals.
