By Tabora Bojang & Olimatou Coker
A police officer, identified as Sergeant Gibba, is under arrest after allegedly forcing a man and a woman to strip naked, filming them and threatening to publicise the videos if they do not pay him D30,000.
According to reports reaching The Standard, Sgt Gibba claimed he found the couple at Lemon Creek beach engaging in a sexual act, and with the help of an unnamed person, arrested and detained them.
A source told this paper: “Sgt Gibba detained the couple and forced them to remove their clothes. He then recorded them on videos, one after the other, and then asked that they pay D30,000 or else he will expose the videos. They only had D7,000 on them which they handed over to him and promised to pay the rest later. On the following days, they made him a transfer of D10,000 through Wave and promised to complete the remaining payment.
“They called him the next day to make the next payment but on their way, they decided to report the matter to the Senegambia Police Post. They called him in the presence of the police and he asked them to go to Lamin to hand over the money to him. The police escorted the couple to Lamin where Sgt Gibba was arrested and detained at the Senegambia station.
“The police investigators went through his mobile phone where they found the videos he recorded of the couple. One video showed the woman wearing a veil, stripped and forced on the ground naked. She was asked to identify herself and she did. After being forced onto the ground, they started filming her face and private parts and the suspected officer started putting his fingers inside her. On several occasions the woman tried to cover her face but the officer was heard screaming, ‘Remove your hands or we will put you in cuffs!’
“In the other video, he stripped the man, and asked him to identify himself which he complied with. He repeatedly asked him why he engaged in sex on the beach. The man was heard asking for forgiveness. He also tried to cover his face but was threatened not to do so.”
Our source added that several other nude videos of other persons who were subjected to similar violent and humiliating treatments, were seen in Sgt Gibba’s mobile phone.
According to our source, he is expected to face multiple charges, including attempted rape and extortion.
Contacted for confirmation, police spokesman, Cadet MM Sisawo, confirmed the arrest of a paramilitary police officer by personnel of the Tourism Security Unit for “alleged gross misconduct”.
He said if confirmed, the officer’s conduct would constitute “a flagrant violation of the code of conduct of the police”.
He added: The police force categorically condemns any abuse of power or misconduct by its officers. A thorough and impartial investigation is underway…”
