Monday, July 9, 2007

Breaking News:Police Refuse to Prosecute Army Officer Following an Assault Case

By Wise Man in Banjul


Lamin Sanneh a National Guard officer attached to the Special Forces of the Gambia Army was yesterday arrested by the Brikama Police but soon allowed to walk a freeman following the assault of one Ebrima Mendy, an owner of local pub at Brikama Jamisa for ‘not serving him free Alcohol’.
The officer allegedly in the habit of drinking free alcohol in the pub got angry when the pub owner refused to serve him free of charge. The place called Jalanba is a famous `ghetto` in Brikama where prostitute and alcoholic often disturbed responsible drinkers.
According to one of the customers of the pub, the military officer usually enter the pub sometime in his full military uniform during off duty drinking with prostitutes and threatens anyone who dares to ask for the payment of his bills.
S. Jabang said: ‘whenever he comes around he must request for free alcohol from the Bar or anybody he suspect of possession money, if you refused, the Bar Man or the person concerned could be assaulted without any reason.’
He added: ‘the officer is very violent and in the habit of disturbing anyone including law abiding customers. He takes away prostitutes sometimes freely because if such night-workers refuse it means the end of your days in the pub’.
A customer who frequently visit the pub said: ‘officer Lamin Sanneh will make sure you are harass and not allow again in the pub whenever you defy what he wants…he even take away anyone home whenever he choose to and if you decline he can easily stop you from coming to the pub again. He use his advantage of being an army officer to intimidate others.
Another frequent customer A. Bojang said: ‘whenever the officer got drunk he freely harass women sexually including other individuals…. outside the pub he could disrupt the traffic and had seized other people properties…he is just a criminal in uniform’.
Customers who knew the officer well told Freedom Newspaper that due to the powers of the Special Force unit, such officer are taking advantage of their positions and had continued to break the law of the land regardless. Therefore the civilians according to sources found it vital this time round to report the assault case to the Brikama Police for remedy but the Sergeant on duty was scared when the officer identified himself as a member of the Special Unit. Out of the blue and to the utmost surprise of the civilians, the officer was told by the Police that he was free to go without any charges.
An angry eyewitness complains that ‘it was clear to everyone that the reason why he was allowed to go scot-free is a testimony of the lack of respect for individuals’ right as far as the Gambian Military is concerned’.

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