""During the screening process, they asked me about my nationality and that
of my parents and wife. My political and religious affiliations were also
asked," Saidykhan said. The Independent Editor was questioned about his
paper's coverage of the killings of Ghanaians in The Gambia."

Hmmmmmmm!  Does this sound familiar?  Baba Galleh, I'm sure you and many
Gambians that suffer this abuse can relate.  Folks, this is not child play
and these folks mean business, and we better be realistic with the danger we
are confronted with.  Now Saidykhan is not a citizen, his parents are not,
and his spouse is not.  Yet folks want us to think that we will win this
struggle to liberate Gambia by going "kinder and gentler".  In our comfort
zones and in our minds, but not when a murderer is threatened to be exposed.
  Not when you want to take away the life line of an entire political
machinery.  Can you imagine how many souls depend on and thrive on Yaya
staying one more day, year, decades?  Thus, what makes us think that when we
handle them softly this way and that they will just step aside and see
reason.  Reason!  It is going to get uglier the closer we are to October
2006 and the more we expose their dirty laundry.  Everything they got will
be thrown at us and we better be ready.  Saidykhan, the first step to
liberating yourself is to not be afraid of the machinery or their thugs, and
you have just done that.




Editor Recounts Arrest "I Remain Upbeat"



The Independent (Banjul)

October 31, 2005
Posted to the web November 1, 2005

Lamin Njie
Banjul

The Editor-In-Chief of The Independent Newspaper, Musa Saidykhan, has
explained the reasons for his last Thursday arrest and questioning by agents
of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) who drove him to their
headquarters in Banjul.

Mr. Saidykhan said the arrest and subsequent questioning had not intimidated
or threatened him to censor him or bower down. "I had remained upbeat
throughout the period. I was not the least intimidated or threatened,
although the arresting officer had attempted to do while on the way to
Banjul." He said, "I wonder what you journalists think of yourselves. So you
feel too big to be invited by our director. In fact, you are looking for
cheap popularity and we don't mind this thing to be on Network Africa," he
said.

Mr. Saidykhan said he had maintained that he should have been informed why
he was needed at the NIA. "I wonder why this man called Bamba Janneh meant
by "cheap popularity," because I think it's my right to know the reasons why
I was invited at NIA."

"As a journalist, I am prepared for arrests, detentions or questioning at
any time," Editor Saidykhan said. "I am a clean citizen who does not want to
violate the laws of the land. The arrest and questioning which were the
first in my eight-year journalism career is part of the job. But they kept
me in darkness - that is without telling me why I was invited for
questioning until I had exhausted screening and photography procedures at
NIA headquarters."

The NIA officers later escorted Mr. Saidykhan to another office where he was
shown copies of The Independent and The Point Newspapers. "Welcome Mr.
Saidykhan. So this is the way you elected to come. Instead of coming for a
simple discussion, you decided to wait until you were arrested," Captain
Saine said. "We don't torture or intimidate people. This is just a normal
thing which is not meant to scare you," he said.

Mr. Saidykhan said his discussions with NIA officials centred on President
Thabo Mbeki's readiness to engage The Gambia government on the killing of
journalist Deyda Hydara. "The NIA officials saw this as an insult to the
integrity of The Gambia because the matter is still under investigation,
although they are yet to establish any possible clue for his killing. They
also saw the story as damaging to the international credentials of The
Gambia," he said, adding, "NIA officials said investigations into Hydara's
killing is of utmost concern to them but they are yet to reach to the bottom
of the issue."

Relevant Links

West Africa
Press and Media
Gambia
Legal and Judicial Affairs



The NIA interrogators further asked Editor Saidykhan to write the exact
statement of President Mbeki and why he did not raise his concerns with
President Jammeh instead. "During the screening process, they asked me about
my nationality and that of my parents and wife. My political and religious
affiliations were also asked," Saidykhan said. The Independent Editor was
questioned about his paper's coverage of the killings of Ghanaians in The
Gambia.

Mr. Saidykhan, who was finally released last Friday after he had reported at
the NIA, said, " I am grateful to my colleagues, family and friends both
home and abroad for their concern and solidarity."



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