By: Musa Sheriff & Momodou Justice Darboe
The secretary-general and leader of the UDP A.N.M Ousainou Darboe has cautioned Seedy Touray that he cannot use the police as an organ of oppression for another person’s interest.
Addressing thousands of cheering supporters at his Pipeline residence after his return from a month’s tour of Europe and the US on Monday, Lawyer Darboe said: “I have something that disheartened me and I know it disheartened every sensible person. When I heard that the editor of The Voice newspaper Musa Sheriff and Momodou Justice Darboe were charged with false information… What is false information? False information constitutes a crime when it damages something in the country. To say Adama Barrow has prepared someone to replace him in the NPP…How did that damage the country? What damage did it cause to the country?” Darboe went on: “But what I think is that tyranny and dictatorship are once again rearing their ugly heads in The Gambia. This is all what they were doing during the Jammeh era; charging people with false information. Going against journalists…This is how Yahya Jammeh started it and we cannot allow this to happen in this country. I call you out three times Seedy Touray. Withdraw this case. In my opinion, Mr. Seedy Touray, you are fighting the NPP fight for your brother-in-law because Adama Barrow’s sister is married to you. You cannot weaponize the police for another person’s political interest. That is the only thing you are doing. This is why people are losing respect for the police and I advise you to withdraw the case because I believe you are fighting for your brother-in-law. Why didn’t he go ahead with the civil action he threatened to take?”
Darboe advised IGP Seedy Touray to advise Barrow to go ahead with his defamation case.
“The whole world is talking about two terms [in office] and is that a defamation? That’s good for his [Barrow] image. If you don’t know what to do but only to clamp down on newspapers…I know The Voice published articles that you did not like and this can be an opportunity but I think you are mistaken,” he stated.
“Musa Sheriff and your people, we stand by you and we support you in any way. Don’t go back. Don’t apologise because you didn’t break any law. It’s a shame after the president said he never imprisoned anyone. If you take anyone into detention and deprive him of liberty, that is imprisonment,” Darboe told thousands of his supporters.
