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toubab1020
12312 Posts |
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Momodou
Denmark
11738 Posts |
 Posted - 11 Sep 2012 : 18:57:44
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Detained Journalists Charged, Released on Bail
by Amie Sanneh.
Foroyaa: Published on Tuesday, 11 September 2012
The two Gambian Journalists, Baboucarr Ceesay, the 1st Vice President of The Gambia Press Union (GPU) and Abubacarr Saidykhan, an independent Freelance Journalist, who were arrested and detained by the Police in the evening of Thursday 6 September, are released on Police bail on Monday 10 September, after they were charged by Police Prosecutors for "Conspiracy to Commit Felony". The duo is granted bail to provide a Gambian surety who should deposit a National Identity Card and sign a bond of D 250, 000 and should report to Police Headquarters in Banjul on Monday, 17 September.
However, the Police Prosecutors did not formally serve the two journalists with any charge sheet, but were informed that they are charged with conspiracy to commit felony and had dropped the initial charge of inciting violence against them.
When the waiting GPU journalists, who were facilitating the bail for the two, requested for the charge sheet from the Police, a senior Police officer informed them that they are still investigating into the matter and until it is finished, they cannot give out any charge sheet. He told the journalists that they do not want to detain the duo beyond the Constitutional mandate of 72 hours, which is why they were granted bail.
Source: Foroyaa |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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Momodou
Denmark
11738 Posts |
Posted - 21 Sep 2012 : 13:39:22
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Journalist Faces Additional Charge of Seditious Intention
By Mamadou Dem
Foroyaa: Published on Thursday, 20 September 2012
Babucarr Ceesay the 1st Vice President of the Gambia Press Union and a reporter for the African Review based in Kenya was charged with the offence of 'Conspiracy to commit a felony alongside an independent freelance Journalist,
Abubacarr Saidykhan after they had applied for a permit from the Office of the Inspector General of Police {IGP}, to organize a peaceful demonstration regarding the nine prisoners who were executed in The Gambia on the 23rd of August, 2012. When Ceesay and his co accused reported to the Banjul Police Station on Wednesday 19th of September, they were informed by Interpol officers that Ceesay is charged with another offence of 'Seditious Intention' for publishing an article in the said Kenyan newspaper.
Prior to the police informing Mr. Ceesay about the new charge pressed against him, the duo informed reporters that they have reported to the said Station on Monday 17th of this month as requested by the police and they waited at the station for more than two hours when a call allegedly emanating from one Mr. Sallah of the National Intelligence Agency was received by Inspector Sulayman Gaye of the Criminal Investigation Unit. According to the journalist, the said intelligence officer was enquiring about them but Gaye informed him that they were waiting for the Officer Commanding of the Interpol unit who was said to have traveled to Ivory Coast for training.
The two pen pushers speaking to this reporter said that their lawyer, Lamin S. Camara, was at the station when they reported on Monday and he promised that his clients would leave the station as soon as they are finished with the clearance of the Police and he eventually left.
"Today we came; one Mr. Sillah told us that we have to review our bail by calling our sureties to come to the station to give their consent as to whether they will continue giving us surety," said the two journalists.
The duo argued that it is the new procedure with the Interpol. They said they asked them to go home and come back the next day. They said as they were going home, a call came from a Mr. Sillah, an Interpol officer who asked them to go back to the station again as he was given command that they do so, said Saidykhan.
According to the two, when they returned to the station, they were accompanied by two colleagues who were curious to know what was going to be the outcome, and upon arrival at the Interpol office and sitting for a while, Ceesay was informed that he is charged with seditious intention contrary to section 51 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
When their sureties reported as required by the Police, they were told that the police bail has been extended and they should report back to the Interpol on Friday 21st of September, 2012.
Source: Daily News |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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Momodou
Denmark
11738 Posts |
Posted - 24 Sep 2012 : 20:21:56
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GPU calls on State to Drop charges against journalists
The Daily News: Published on Monday, September 24, 2012
The Gambia Press Union is calling on the Gambian authorities to drop the charges against Babucarr Ceesay, first vice president of the Union and his colleague, Abubacarr Saidykhan who were arrested on Thursday, 6 September 2012 and released on bail on Monday, 10 September 2012 after they had been charged with incitement of violence and conspiracy to commit felony.
The Gambia Press Union wishes to bring to the attention of the authorities that the right to peaceful demonstration is enshrined under Section 25 sub-section 1 (d) of the Second Republican Constitution and it states, ‘Every person shall have the right to freedom to assemble and demonstrate peaceably and without arms“.
Furthermore, we wish to state that the right to free expression is an inviolable right enshrined under 25 sub-section 1 (a) of the Second Republican Constitution, which states, “, ‘Every person shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression, which shall, include freedom of the press and other media”.
Therefore it is our view that the duo has not acted outside the limits of the Constitutional Provisions cited earlier, nor have they flouted the Public Order Act as well. It is our view that by applying for a permit to hold a peaceful demonstration, they do not only want to express their views, but that they want to do it within the confines of the law.
The office of the Inspector General of Police is mandated by law to use its discretion in granting or disapproving an application for a permit. If in the case of the duo, the Police feel that based on genuine reasons; they cannot grant their application for a permit, then they are at liberty to turn it down.
However if the Police proceed to arrest and proffer charges against the duo for merely applying for a permit to allow them to express their views within the confines of the law, it means the action of the duo is being criminalized and this would be at variance with the principles of democracy. The Police Force is made up of honourable men and women and as such they should continue rendering good services to humanity.
It is in the interest of national reconciliation, human rights, democracy and the rule of law that the Police drop the charge against the duo. The State has nothing to lose by dropping the charge against the duo, whereas charging the duo to court would give the impression that The Gambia which is known as the “Smiling Coast” brooks no dissent.
Author: Gambia Press Union release |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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Momodou
Denmark
11738 Posts |
Posted - 24 Sep 2012 : 20:24:41
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JOURNALIST SAIDYKHAN FACES ADDITIONAL CHARGE
By Mamadou Dem
Foroyaa: Published on Monday, 24 September 2012
Abubacarr Saidykhan, an independent freelance journalist who is charged with 'Conspiracy to commit a felony 'alongside the 1st Vice President of the Gambia Press Union and reporter for African Review Newspaper based in Kenya, was on Friday 21st of September faced another charge for allegedly 'inciting violence' contrary to section 59B of the Criminal Code. The said charge was pressed against him when he reported to the Interpol office at the Police headquarters in Banjul alongside his Co. suspect Baboucarr Ceesay on the said date.
According to the Journalists, when they reported to the said office, Inspector Sulayman Gaye of the Criminal Investigation Unit confirmed the additional charge against Saidykhan.
They added that the Station Officer of Interpol, Mr. Sillah told them that they have to call their sureties to report to the Interpol office immediately for them to sign the bail bond of D250,000 ( two hundred and fifty thousand dalasi), pending the conclusion of the matter.
The two pen pushers disclosed that they were asked to report back with their sureties today.
Readers would recall that the two journalists were arrested and detained on the 6th of September by Interpol Officers upon applying for a permit from the office of the Inspector General of Police {IGP} to enable them organize a peaceful demonstration on the recent execution involving nine inmates at Mile II Central Prison. They were released on bail on the 10th of this month and asked to report on the 17th of the same month.
When the two reported to the Interpol office in Banjul on the 19th of this month, Babucarr Ceesay was informed that an additional charge of 'Seditious Intention' had been preferred against him for publishing an article in Africa Review.
Source: Foroyaa |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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