By Mustapha Jallow
Mr. Momodou Sarjo Jallow, a former deputy minister of Foreign Affairs, is still held incommunicado at the National Intelligence
Agency (NIA) headquarters in Banjul. Held for 78 days his defence counsel and entire family members have been refused access since on Friday, 2 September, 2016 when he was detained.
Speaking to Foroyaa one of Mr Jallow’s relatives yesterday, 17 November on the phone, told this reporter that their brother is yet to be released after court had granted him bail and after they have done all they can to secure his release but all their efforts have been in vain.
Asked if the Attorney General has responded to their requests, the relative disclosed that since then they have not received anything yet and are still waiting for them. ‘‘I concluded by calling on the government to release our loved one who had nearly spent 3 months in detention without access to family or his Lawyer.’’
Family sources had previously said that Lawyer Antouman A.B. Gaye, defence counsel, and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), have intervened to ensure compliance with the court order by releasing Mr. Momodou Sarjo Jallow from unlawful detention at NIA.
On Saturday, 5 November, a close family member revealed: ‘‘We had met all the conditions that were requested by the authorities but they told us that one thing is remaining which is his travelling documents and that one was stolen by unidentified men in civilian clothes.’’
According to the source, they have written to the Attorney General few days ago requesting for an intervention but no response was received.
A motion was filed by Lawyer Antouman A.B Gaye, his counsel, seeking for an order to unconditionally release him from NIA headquarters in Banjul or grant him bail. On 17 October 2016, Justice Otaba of the Special Criminal Division of the High Court in Banjul granted bail to Mr. Sarjo Jallow in the sum of D200,000, with two Gambian sureties, with a property of the like sum. The trial judge also ordered for the accused person to submit his travelling documents to the Principal Registrar of the high court and for the sureties to swear to an affidavit of means.
It was also reported that Jallow’s travelling documents were taken away by men who came to arrest him on Friday, 2 September, at his residence at Manjai Kunda.
His house was burgled twice and that his personal laptop was taken away during the burglary, according to the wives.
