Gambia: Are Daily News' Lamin Njie And Saikou Ceesay Arrested And Released?

Information reaching this reporter has it that Mr. Lamin Njie and Saikou Ceesay of the Daily News were arrested on Tuesday 16th February 2010 prompting Foroyaa to investigate the matter.

This reporter had an exclusive interview with Mr. Lamin Njie and asked him to shed light on the matter.

According to Njie, a colleague of his,Saikou Ceesay informed him that the police PRO Sulayman Secka called him to say that they needed them at the police headquarters in Banjul . He said they went there together with Mr. Alota. Mr. Njie said that their arrest was connected to a story carried by their paper on the conditions at the police line. He said the police IGP is of the opinion that they should not have carried the story. Mr. Njie however said they told the police boss that the story is a balanced one; that they have visited the police line and saw for themselves the conditions they described in the article.

Mr. Njie also explained that before they published the story they contacted the police PRO who told them that they are currently working on the old site and after finishing that they will then work on the new site.


Mr. Njie told this reporter that they spent a long time explaining to the IGP that they had the aim to produce a story that was well balanced and published in good faith in the public interest and that it was not meant to discredit the police but to promote development.

When asked what happens afterwards, Mr. Njie said the IGP insisted that they should not have published the story and cautioned them not to go near the place anymore.

When asked whether any charges were proffered against them Mr Njie answered in the negative and confirmed that the IGP just spoke to them for a long time and then ordered their release without charge.

- February 17, 2010 by Foroyaa Newspaper

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Source: www.foroyaa.gm/modules/news/article.php (accessed on 19.02.2010)