By Mustapha Jarju
Mr Ousman Saidybah, Public Relations Officer at the Drug Law Enforcement Agency of The Gambia (DLEAG), has disclosed that at least twenty-seven anti-drug officers have been dismissed from service after failing to pass drug test.
Speaking to The Voice Newspaper exclusively at his office in Pipeline, he said: “This has been happening for officers that have been found wanting and they have also been dealt with accordingly because nobody is above the law he noted.”
“The Narcotic Agency instituted a system where a drug test is conducted for every single staff of the DLEAG and it was conducted by an independent consultant led by one Mr. Barrow, and when it was conducted in the initial stage about 27 staff of the Drug Law Enforcement Agency were found wanting and they were dismissed,” he said.
He described the dismissed officers’ actions as unfortunate and sad saying “Law enforcement officer are paid to enforce the law.”
“And yourself are abusing the law, it is common sense that you arresting people for something that you yourself are perpetrating this is why the Agency when we have series of cases, we conduct drug test,” he added.
According to him, recently the institution of anti-drug trafficking was hiring drivers but interested candidates were informed about the principles which include undergoing drug test which made some of the interested candidates not to return for the test; a process he said is here to stay.
He noted that it is the mechanisms that are put in place because “you cannot be a drug law enforcement officer employed to maintain the law, but becoming the first to break that same law you are to protect.”
He added that more is expected from the law enforcement officers because they are paid to uphold the law of the country.