Lamin Camara, headmaster of Demfaye Basic Cycle was arrested on Friday December 17 and taken to Bansang Police Station where he has been held in a cell without charge well beyond the 72 hours stipulated by the constitution . While the government is yet to proffer any formal charges , sources familiar with the case have indicated that it revolves around a shipment of donated items sent to his school and community that he was transporting to Demfaye after clearing it at the Port on the 11th of December.
Having gone through nearly 20 check points from Banjul without incident , Mr Camara and his team of volunteers who were carrying the donated items in two hired trucks were stopped at a checkpoint in Kaur . They were promptly ordered off the trucks and told to pack off the road . The license of the driver was then confiscated and was told a bribe had to be paid. After much delay , the facilitator of the donated items Karamba Touray was contacted to explain the situation who reiterated what he had always stressed to Lamin which is that Allah has forbidden the giving and taking of bribes and that it is also against the laws of The Gambia .
The policeman insisted on extorting the bribe and refused to return the driver’s license and instead wrote an abstract note on a flimsy piece of paper as a substitute for the checkpoints after Kaur that the driver would encounter on the remainder of the journey to Demfaye and back. The extortion note was forwarded to Karamba Touray , who then proceeded to call the officer demanding the bribe to urge him to return the drivers license and to not insist on unlawfully demanding money from the driver .
It was understood that the police was furious that a citizen was demanding he respect the law. Karamba then proceeded to write a public note on his Facebook page lamenting the bureaucratic problems he encountered clearing the 40 foot container that drove the cost of clearing as well as the flagrant demand by this one police officer and his accomplice to be bribed. Fatu Network understands from sources the police officer in question a sergeant Bayo was arrested following the posting of the complaint and is still in custody. Principal Camara who is an award winning educator , is held in very high regard by the people of Demfaye and communities throughout CRR. He is involved mosque building projects, coordinates support for religious schools and helps distribute support to hundreds of poor people from orphans to widows quietly and for Allah’s sake.
Sources have indicated that the police leadership are attempting to persecute an honest and upright citizen who refused to violate the law . Holding the rogue police officer who violated his oath and then turning around and holding Lamin for the legitimate public complaints of Karamba Touray is a travesty. The right thing is for Lamin to be released immediately and unconditionally and for him to receive a public commendation for following the commands of Allah and upholding the laws of The Gambia . Karamba Touray’s public opinions are his and trying to persecute a good servant of the people who is working tirelessly to make his community better is wrong.
