By Omar Bah
Sira Sowe, a prison officer and wife to Ebrima Colley, a soldier arrested for allegedly plotting to kill Chief of Defence Staff Masanneh Kinteh, has called on the Gambia Armed Forces to unconditionally release her husband or take him before a Court Martial.
Colley, a soldier attached at Fajara Barracks was arrested on 21 June whiles on duty, for allegedly conniving with five other soldiers in a WhatsApp chat group to attack CDS Kinteh’s convey in a plot to assassinate him. Three of the suspects have since been released.
Speaking to The Standard, Madame Sowe complained: “Since on the 21st of June my husband is being detained at the Fajara Barracks without being charged or taken to any court of law and the family didn’t also hear anything from the army.
This is why I decided to speak out to let the government know about it so that they will take action.”
She said her husband has always denied the allegations.
Madame Sowe said her husband is the breadwinner of the family “even the children are not going to school and his own father is seriously ill.
“I believe even if they think he is guilty they have no right to continuously keep him in detention without trial,” she observed
Meanwhile, when contacted on the matter army PRO Major Lamin Sanyang, said: “We were waiting for the outcome of a panel that was constituted to investigate the matter and I am made to understand that the panel has submitted its report and disciplinary action will be taken against the three soldiers currently in detention very soon.”
PRO Sanyang also confirmed that three out of the six arrested soldiers were released.
