By Omar Wally
The Gambia Democratic Congress on the directive of party leader Mamma Kandeh, has condemned the questioning of APRC leader Fabakary Tombong Jatta by the police.
A delegation headed by Demba Sabally, on Saturday paid a courtesy call on the APRC leader at his Talinding residence to show “solidarity” with him.
Jatta was last week invited to the police headquarters in Banjul for questioning following statements he made recently that the government should either charge the detained military officers who have been in custody for months or release them. The APRC leader was also quoted as saying that the officers were either detained for their support of the APRC or for being Jolas.
The remark prompted the police to invite Jatta for questioning. He was released without charge after two hours.
Tombong was the second opposition leader to be invited for questioning in three months. The first was the GDC leader.
Demba Sabally, a GDC executive member and senior adviser to Mamma Kandeh, said the visit was meant to express solidarity with Fabakary Tombong Jatta and members of APRC for being subjected to police questioning.
“We are here to condemn the actions of the police, for inviting political leaders for questioning for speeches they gave at political rallies. It happened to our party leader and now it happened to APRC leader. We fought for a free and better Gambia, so inviting political leaders for questioning is not in the good sprit of the new democracy.”
He said the questioning of Kandeh set a bad precedence. “It happened to our leader and now the APRC leader. We condemn it and even if it is the leader of the UDP, NRP or any other party, we will condemn it. Such actions should stop. The police should be a neutral body. We understand that political leaders should make responsible speeches, but to censor what they say is unacceptable.
“We will urge political leaders to be mindful of any statement that is going to bring instability into the country, because politicians and political parties cannot operate in an unstable country. So it is not in the interest of political leaders to say things that will create fury,” he said.
