By Alhagie Jobe
A total of 13 detainees of the April 14 peaceful protesters have been released on bail late Thursday, family sources have confirmed.
Those released are Baboucar Gitteh, Sadar Secka, Baba Ceesay, Ebrima Janko Ceesay, Lamin Camara, Alhagie Jammeh, Alhagie Jatta, Ebrima Jadama, Pa Ousman Njie, Kekuta Yabou, Baboucar Jah, Muhamed Jawneh and Baboucar Touray respectively.
The only condition attached to their bail is that they should not take part in any form of protest for the next six months.
Family members have confirmed that they only bailed out their love ones with a single Gambian Identity Card and have completed the paper works late Thursday evening at the Police Headquarters in Banjul. All the 13 detainees have all been released and have reunited with their families.
Twenty five people were arrested on April 14, 2016, alongside the late Solo Sandeng who died in state custody after staging a peaceful demonstration at Westfield Junction demanding electoral reform. Prominent among them are Fatoumatta Jawara and Nogoi Njie, the chairperson and deputy chairperson respectively of the women’s wing of United Democratic Party (UDP). They have since been denied bail on several occasion by the High Court in Banjul and kept under custody at the Mile Two Central Prison.
The case of some of the April 14 peaceful protesters which was recently transferred from the High Court in Banjul to the High Court in Mansakonko, Lower River Region witnessed its first hearing on Tuesday, June 14, 2016, but could not proceed.
When the case was called, A.M Yusuf and Sheriff Kumba Jobe who represented the State said they wished to proceed with the matter but lawyers for the accused persons were not in court.
“Have the lawyers been put on notice?” asked the presiding judge and in response, State counsel Yusuf said he is not sure whether they were put on notice. He therefore urged the court to direct an order to that effect.
The judge then adjourned the case to Wednesday 15 June 2016 for mentioning of the case and ordered that the accused persons and their attorneys be put on notice before the said date to enable them to appear in court.
Meanwhile, all 11 peaceful protesters transported to Mansakonko have been moved back to Mile Two Central Prison this afternoon, June 16, 2016, no information was given as to what the next step will be.
