Families of the detained Managing Director of Gamtel Baboucar Sanyang have expressed their inability to access or know the whereabouts of their love one since his arrest and subsequent detention three days ago. Mr. Sanyang was picked up by the notorious personnel of the NIA from his office and taken to an unknown location. He has neither been charged nor given access to his family or lawyers. The Gambian constitution stipulates that accused persons must be told the reason they are being arrested and arraigned before a competent court of law within 72 hours their arrest. This provision appears to be in constant violation by the Jammeh government.
As usual no reason has been advanced for Mr. Sanyang’s arrest and detention. Sources alleged that it may have to do with recent online reports of financial misappropriation engulfed within the company. Information has been licking out that Gambia’s largest and one time most successful telecommunication company in West Africa may be in deep financial troubles largely due to frequent change of leadership and interference from the government.
A GAMTEL staffer supposedly a close confident to the detained MD has also confirmed his boss’s arrest and subsequent detention saying that they have been calling all his cell phone lines but to no avail. He stated that he is concerned about his boss’s detention without access to family and lawyers. The family and staff of Mr. Sanyang are very concerned about his whereabouts and well-being.
Gamtel, like many other companies in Gambia have been subjected to frequent change of leadership through unexplained arrest and extended detention without any reasons advanced for their arrest. This often leads to unscrupulous and false charges of economic crime under the so called economic crimes act. Many people are charge with this crime today because it doesn’t take a lot of evidence to convict the accused of economic crimes. This is the most deceptive crime bill this country has ever witnessed and consequently a lot of hard working citizens have suffered the brunt of this law. It is not only unjust to prosecute citizens under this law but also a denial of justice and due process for citizens accused of crimes to be detained beyond the 72 hour limit without charges. “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”.