By: Hadram Hydara
Deputy Youth Advisor to President Adama Barrow, Lamin K. Saidy, has urged the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Interior Ministry to take necessary action against the United Democratic Party (UDP) National Assembly Member (NAM) Madi Ceesay, who shared a photo of a police officer on his Facebook Story with a caption seemingly calling for people to find him and ensure he “pays the price”.
Saidy has called for Ceesay to be brought to justice and punished for his actions.
“Madi Ceesay, a sitting National Assembly [Member], circulating a violent message targeting a police office is worrying and the Minister of Interior and IGP should act to protect serving members of [the] police.
“The write-up of high contained strong and aggressive wordings called on UDP supporters to attack a named police officer,” Saidy said.
Mr Saidy called for disciplinary action against Madi by parliament and the state. He added that Madi, unlike others, knows the complaint mechanisms at the Gambia Police Force (GPF) which can be used if dissatisfied with a police officer.
He urged UDP supporters to not take the law into their own hands.
“While I called Madi to justice, I want to urge supporters of UDP to give the law a chance. We are governed by laws and that should be respected by all irrespective of one’s political affiliation,” he said.
He further added: “The UDP had dragged the government and the President to court in the past and no one from the side of the President reacted in such a manner.
“I called on UDP leadership to please advise their supporters to allow the courts to do their work”.
Madi Ceesay, who is also the Chairperson of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Human Rights and Constitutional Matters, emphasized that he had no involvement in the creation of the original photo and message, stating “I neither wrote it nor have anything to do with it. I just saw it and shared it, that’s all.”
