By: The Fatu Network Editorial
The police arrested The Voice newspaper reporter Momodou Darboe on Thursday, September 26, charging him with false publication and broadcasting over an article allegedly intended to cause public alarm. Musa Sheriff, the Editor of The Voice, was also detained but later released on bail.
Darboe’s detention has been the subject of widespread media attention, as his article titled “Barrow Chooses Muhammed Jah As Successor As Pres. Works on Exit Plan – Sources,” which was published on Monday, September 23, suggested that President Barrow was considering businessman Muhammed Jah as his successor.
The following day (on Tuesday), Ida D. Drammeh and Associates, Counsel for President Adama Barrow and the National People’s Party, wrote to Musa Sheriff threatening legal action over the article
Subsequent to the arrests, The Gambia Police Force stated that while they support press freedom, their actions against the accused are meant to ensure the upholding of responsible journalism.
Meanwhile, the Gambia Press Union raised alarm over growing legal threats against journalists, warning that such measures could push media practitioners into self-censorship. “It is obviously a concern to see senior public officials using legal threats over news media stories about them,” the GPU stated.
