The Gambia Press Union has called on the police to drop a charge of common assault against Momodou ‘Justice’ Darboe, the editor of Jollof News Online.
The police claimed Darboe assaulted a police officer.
According to the GPU on Tuesday, Darboe was on a routine coverage at the Banjul Magistrates’ Court of the trial of two Austrian nationals, Manuel Di Stofleth Mitterer and Angelika Mitterer, who are being tried on charges of “disobedience to lawful orders” over allegations that in July 2025 “the couple refused to comply with a court directive requiring them to provide investigators access to their crypto currency accounts and related digital assets.”
He said he was attacked from behind after taking a photo of the couple while they were leaving the courtroom.
“My phone was wrenched from my hand by the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Prosecutions, Lamin Sanneh,” he said.
Following the incident, Darboe was arrested and detained at the Police Headquarters in Banjul from around 1pm to 7pm before he was granted self-bail. He was charged with common assault.
He was told to report to the police yesterday, and when he did, he was told to report again on Tuesday.
Darboe has denied the charge of common assault, which carries up to a one-year imprisonment.
GPU Secretary General Modou Joof called on the police to drop the charge against Mr Darboe “with immediate effect and without condition”, and withdraw the bail condition which requires him to be continually reporting to the police station in Banjul.
“The GPU also urges the police to refrain from any acts of harassment or intimidation of journalists in the course of their work including when covering court cases. We want the police to avoid interfering with the work of journalists and to understand that journalists in The Gambia and around the world are not barred from taking photos of accused persons outside courtrooms. Justice Darboe did not violate his code of conduct or any law that would warrant his arrest and detention,” he stated.
