By Tabora Bojang
Former military officer Abdoulie Sanyang who was arrested as he tried to catch a flight back to his base in Switzerland on Sunday, has been charged with arson, believed to be linked to the burning of the APRC bureau, where it was alleged thousands of voters’ cards were targeted in 2016.
Sanyang in an explosive interview on West Coast radio confirmed he was one of the financiers of the attack against the bureau to prevent non-Gambians from taking part in the 2016 elections which he said subsequently led to President Barrow’s victory over ex-president Jammeh.
A few days after the interview, Sanyang was arrested, detained for 3 days before he was arraigned at the Kanifing magistrates’ court yesterday where he was charged with four counts including arson, seditious intention and incitement to violence.
On count one, arson, police prosecutors alleged that Mr Sanyang sometime in the year 2016 willfully and unlawfully took part in the planning and setting on fire the national bureau of the APRC.
On the charge of seditious intention, prosecutors alleged that Sanyang made comments at West Coast radio that President Adama Barrow was deeply involved in electoral malpractices in the 2021 presidential elections.
On incitement to violence, Sanyang was charged for claiming on West Coast radio that he “gave financial support to the 3 Years Jotna “Movement” which embarked on an “illegal protest requesting President Barrow to step down from office.
Sanyang was also charged with offences relating to judicial proceedings. Prosecutors alleged that he made comments during his interview on West Coast radio describing the court hearing of PIU shooting suspect Ousainou Bojang as a clandestine court.
Police prosecutor ASP M Camara applied for the court to remand Sanyang at Mile II pending trial at the High Court since the arson charge is not bailable and the magistrate’s court therefore lacks jurisdiction to hear the matter.
Sanyang’s lawyer Lamin J Darbo, raised no objection to the application and presiding magistrate Touray granted the application for Sanyang to be remanded at Mile II pending the hearing.
