Gambia’s Vice President Dr. Isatou Touray, our intelligence sources reveal is making serious comments against vocal Gambian activists like Madi Jobarteh, a popular face and voice the country has been reading and hearing from almost every few days in both print and broadcast media.

Jobarteh’s analysis and commentary about Gambia’s current issues continuously rattles the Barrow cage. Consequently, the Vice President is using the police and security personnel to intimidate informed activists like Jobarteh, reports continue.

This corroborates earlier reports that Kairaba Police Station’s Deputy Police Commissioner, Pateh Bah asserted that the order to arrest Jobarteh “came from the top.” Well, we at forgambia will reveal who or what that top is, vagaries irrespective.

The direct quotes of the Vice President are in our possession without plans of disclosure just to keep our sources safe and enduring. We were also informed of Barrow’s agents among some so-called journalists in The Gambia!

We are glad that TANGO’S Chair, John Charles Njie was able to re-affirm this at Friday’s presser. He said he was told by his mother that there are undercover journalists for the state to silence the civil society groups. He mentioned that  after the press conference, all journalists would be served the statement to their keeping.

“When Gambians decided for a change of leadership, they indeed voted out a leader but not him alone, the system that kept him entrenched and allowed him to violate our rights as a people repeatedly,” Njie continued.

“This concern has now manifested itself right before our eyes in the recent arrest, in the guise of being called for questioning and subsequent imposition of the charge of false publication and broadcasting on a dear brother and colleague in the person of Mr. Madi Jobarteh, on 30th June 2020.”

“On this day, Madi was called by ASP Darboe of Kairaba Police station, who asked him to report to the said station to ”clarify” a few questions relating to his interview with the media on Saturday June 27 2020 at ‘Black Lives Matter’ protest, where Madi amongst other things spoke about the torture and detention of Ousman Darboe, the killing of Haruna Jatta, and Kebba Secka.”

“Upon his arrival at the station, he was received by Deputy Commissioner Pateh Bah who told him that they wanted the person of interest to clarify his comments that the Gambia Government ”had not done enough to ensure Justice for the killing of the three persons mentioned above. May I pause here to ask , who amongst us has seen a report on investigations on these three deaths that are all allegedly connected to our security forces?”

“What about the questions being asked by their families? Madi Jobarteh was asked to write out a statement, which he reluctantly did as he was called to the police station to clarify…. even though he was not under arrest, nor a suspect or a witness to any case.”

“Upon writing the statement without which he was held against his will, Madi was then charged with false publication and broadcasting’. He was kept in a police station for two hours and then released on bail and asked to report the following day on 1st of July 2020 which he did,” Njie continued.

On July 2nd, he was then asked to report at the prosecution unit of kanifing station. He was told again that he will be charged for false publication and broadcasting. Madi was told to report on Monday 5th July 2020 at 8:30am.

The Gambia civil society press conference was hinged on the “State of Freedom of expression” and other matters  at the Tango Headquarters in Banjul.

The press conference was first addressed by the Gambia press union president, Sherrif Bojang Junior, who reminded of the fight Gambians took to end dictatorship. “But it seems no changes were made and is about three to four years as at now.”

In his part, Victim’s Chairman Mr. Jerreh Kijera said he was warning the Barrow government not to try to bring former president Yaya Jammeh as a private citizen. If they do so it will change the climate of peace and reconciliation in the country. With Jammeh’s 20 years of impunity and detention […], he must face Justice.

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