UDP to Challenge Darboe's Detention Opposition Leader Spends Night On
Police Bench
The Independent (Banjul)
NEWS
November 25, 2002
Posted to the web November 25, 2002
By Pk Jarju & Ejatou Jallow
Banjul
The United Democratic Party (UDP) will today Monday, file a law suit at the
High Court in Banjul, challenging the detention of Ousainou Darboe, Shyngle
Nyassi, Yaya Jallow and Lang Marong who were picked up and detained at
various police stations in the Greater Banjul Area after a weekend raid on
their homes.
Up to press time Saturday, Ousainou Darboe and Yaya Jallow his deputy were
being held at the Yundum and the Bundung police stations respectively,
while the whereabouts of Shyngle Nyassi and Lang Marong were unknown,
although they were confirmed to have been picked up on the same day,
Friday. The reason for their arrest remains unclear.
In a mobile phone interview with The Independent Saturday, Mariam Denton
the party's human rights lawyer spoke of the UDP filing a challenge today
at the High Court to seek the unconditional release of the four whose
detention has gone without official explanation.
The UDP, according to Lawyer Denton, is convinced that the continuous
detention of the four without any vivid explanation constitutes a violation
of their constitutional rights by President Jammeh's government. She added
that up to the time of the interview the UDP could not solicit any official
reason for what they regard as a clamp down on their leadership. Aside from
describing the detentions as unlawful, Denton claimed that they were a ploy
by Jammeh's government to divert public attention from the current economic
hardship to which it has plunged the country.
On the whereabouts of Shyngle Nyassi and Lang Marong, Lawyer Denton said
the party is not aware of where they were being kept.
Meanwhile, while he was in detention at the Yundum Police, Darboe bemoaned
to The Independent the fact that no official reason was advanced to him,
the party or the country for their arrest. He declined to issue any public
statements over the latest clamp down for fear that it might be used
against him before a court of law. 'I am asked to remain silent by the
police who couldn't actually tell why I am arrested' he calmly remarked.
Meanwhile addressing a UDP press briefing on Saturday at their headquarters
in Banjul, Femi Peters revealed that after the party got wind of the
arrests those who remain of the party's leadership, visited Darboe at the
Yundum Police station where they said he spent the night on a bench. Mr.
Peters the UDP campaign manager, said they had also visited Yaya Jallow at
the Bundung police where they were told that he was immediately put in a
cell after his arrest. Peters added that they were still trying to locate
which police station Nyassi and Marong were being held.
Meanwhile a member of Shyngle Nyassi's family told The Independent that
they were profoundly worried about his unexplained disappearance.
'We want to know why he is arrested and kept at an unknown place like a
criminal' a desperate voice told our reporter.
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