Magistrate Surahata Danso of Brikama-ba Magistrates Court is still under detention for almost three weeks without been charged, The Fatu Network can reveal.
Danso was arrested by state security operatives on Tuesday evening, November 1, 2016 and detained at the Brikama-ba Police Station. He was later transferred to the Serious Crimes Unit at the Police Headquarters in Banjul where he is still been detained without charged or granted bail pending the outcome of the investigations.
According to reliable sources, the outspoken Magistrate was not even sacked at the time of his arrest, meaning he is still the Magistrate of the said court.
Detention without charged and bail contradicts the dictates of the Constitutions og The Gamnbia and a total violation of his rights. The 1997 Constitution of The Gambia says a person should not be detained for more than 72 hours without been charged before a competent court of law or granted bail.
The Gambian magistrates and judges are pruned to arrest and detention when they fail to heed to executive directives to jail innocent people. Each time they deliver verdicts and it doesn’t go down well with the State they are arrested, detained, charged and dismissed and subjected to emotional torture.
In August, 2016, the country’s first and only visually impaired Magistrate Muhammed Krubally was dismisssed. His dismissal letter came after he already left the country to attend The World Blind Union Conference in the United States of America. He was accused of ruling against the state in a case that the President personally had interest in.
In early September 2016, Gambia’s youngest Magistrate Omar Jabang of the Banjul Magistrates Court also fled the shores of The Gambia to the United States. He was arrested and detained at the Serious Crime Unit in Banjul following his ruling on a no case to answer where he acquitted and discharged one Yusupha Saidy, a businessman.
After his arrest and detention, Jabang was later dismissed and later reinstated on condition that he must heed to the wishes of the Presidency and jailed anyone that the regime wants or risked being arrested, dismissed, charged and prosecuted for abuse of office..
The Gambian Judiciary lacks independence and dances to the tune of President Yahya Jammeh.
