Coup Rumour Mongers Detained




The Independent (Banjul)

August 3, 2001
Posted to the web August 3, 2001

P. K. Jarju
Banjul, the Gambia

A former Officer Commanding Farafenni Police Station Assistant
Superintendent of Police (ASP) Kulu Gibba and one Jim Jallow, a Marabout at
Kerr Sulay were allegedly recently detained by the NIA in connection with
rumours of a coup plot.

The two have since been released on bail after spending three days in
detention.

Recently, ASP Kulu Gibba who was also accused of involvement in armed
robbery in Farafenni allegedly connived with Marabout Jim Jallow and one
Alpha Bah to rob one Mauritanian businessman Sheikh Faal of about D66, 000.
The Police Serious Crime Unit was said to have been investigating the
matter.

It is reported that two weeks ago, ASP Kulu Gibba accompanied Marabout Jim
Jallow to the Inspector General of Police Ebou Njie to inform him about an
alleged coup plot being hatched by some police officers at Farafenni Police
Station.

In his narration to the IGP, Marabout Jallow reportedly recounted how one
Couple Momodou Manneh had approached him for some charms to help them
overthrow the government of President Jammeh. He said Cpl. Manneh allegedly
told him that President Jammeh had no regard for the police but instead
gives more attention and respect to members of the army. Manneh allegedly
told Marabout Jallow how every soldier was being given one bag of rice and
10 litres of cooking oil at the end of every month while the police were
given nothing. He also allegedly told Marabout Jallow that President
Jammeh's low regard for the police could be seen from the appointment of a
motor mechanic as IGP and a "Fula who knew nothing and who has less than
twenty years service" as Deputy IGP.

According to Marabout Jallow, when he demanded from Cpl. Manneh the names of
his co-conspirators, he (Manneh) named them as Landing Bojang, Fanding
Ceesay, Bakary Jadama, Abdoulie Jammeh and Fulo Mbye, all police officers at
Farafenni Police Station. Marabout Jallow said he charged them D5000 for the
charms. He said Cpl. Manneh came to his house on April 12 with an advance
payment of D1000 and promised to pay the balance if the charms were
delivered according to planned. He said Cpl. Manneh also appealed to him to
keep the matter secret. He (Manneh) also allegedly told him that the 1981
rebel leader Kukoi Samba Sanyang and some Cassamance dissidents were ready
to assist them during the operation to overthrow the APRC government.
However, Marabout Jallow said Cpl. Manneh told him not to let ASP Gibba know
about it, as he was an informer for President Jammeh.

Marabout Jallow alleged further that on April 25, Cpl. Manneh again came to
his house and he (Jallow) told him that he had 'seen' signs that the coup
was going to succeed, but he told them that unless they paid him the balance
of the money, he was not going to prepare the charms.

At the end of his narration, Marabout Jallow was said to have renewed his
support for President Jammeh, saying he is a patriotic citizen, who would
never harm President Jammeh. He said that was why he decided to disclose the
alleged plot so that the authorities would know about it.

Meanwhile a senior police officer has told The Independent that the marabout
was paid D5000 to fabricate the story of a coup plot and take it to the
newspapers as a form of retaliation against the Farafenni police as a form
of revenge. He also claimed that both Jim Jallow and Kulu Gibba have
confessed to the NIA, which was confirmed to The Independent by an insider.


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