By Amadou Jadama
The UDP supporter seen in a viral video being clobbered by riot police in Brikama last Thursday, has threatened to take legal action against the police.
Kebba Chatty was among a mob protesting the rejection of the nomination of Momodou Sabally to contest the Busumbala constituency seat in the coming legislative election for the opposition UDP.
In an attempt to disperse the crowd, police threw tear gas and in the ensuing melee Chatty was seen being manhandled by the PIU. His treatment was captured on video and shared online prompting condemnations by many including the human rights commission.
Speaking to The Standard, Chatty said he went to the IEC offices in Brikama accompanying the UDP aspirant for the Old Yundum constituency, Lamin Sabally, who was seeking nomination.
He explained: “I was part of the organising committee, responsible for the sound system and while I using the speaker to talk about our candidate Lamin Sabally I saw people running away from PIU officers who were throwing teargas. I also heard people shouting that the other candidate Momodou Sabally was rejected. I was shocked because that was what NPP supporters were saying would happen long before the nomination. So I asked whether NPP and IEC are working together. And I think it is within my right to state that opinion. I went around to grant an interview to journalists about my feelings and then I went about my business.
“After that interview, I met PIU officers at an intersection and they grabbed me and wanted to take me with them and I refused because I told them that I had done nothing wrong. That was the time they started beating me all over my body. They were five in number. They stabbed me in my left hand with their bayonet and hit me on my neck and that was the time I collapsed.
“After beating me, they took me to the IEC office where one Sarjo M Darboe asked why I was being beaten. I was then taken to another room housing other paramilitary officers. I was lying there bleeding for over 30 minutes without help and I told them to take me to hospital because my body was seriously paining me. Sarjo came with another man and they took me to Brikama Health Centre where I was treated and referred for scanning.
