By: Nyima Sillah
Hon Madi Ceesay, National Assembly Member for Serrekunda West Constituency recently accused the Gambia Police Force of selective justice saying the GPF is losing its credibility.
Speaking to this medium in an exclusive interview after the arrest of (Mariama Ceesay), Madi said “It is rather unfortunate that the behavior of the police these days is one of selective justice and discrimination if the police could use a warrant to arrest Mariama Ceesay for allegedly insulting the president.
“I see no reason why equally somebody else who was recently accused of insulting an entire tribe and calling the elimination of that entire tribe which is the Jola tribe in the Gambia.”
He strongly argued that the comparison of the gravity of these two cases in his point of view, Fatoumatta Juwara, who insulted and called for the elimination of a particular tribe has the more gravity crime since her statement is outrageous.
“If that person could work free from the police, I cannot imagine why someone like Mariama Ceesay could be arrested and since her arrest, the police are still investigating.
“This is a clear manifestation of discrimination, selective justice,” he expressed.
He emphasized that the Gambia police were known to be very disciplined police and credible but over the past year or so, the police are losing that credibility, adding that the IGP should stand firm and do what is needful, and what is right.
Hon Ceesay urged the IGP together with his entire force, the Minister of Justice, and his ministry to look into the issues of allegation, noting law for one, is law for all.
However, he stressed that the position of who is insulted does not matter, thus what matters is that the police should treat everyone equally and act according to the law not according to the people. “But what we are seeing now is that the police are acting in order of certain people but I don’t know who, and I think is high time for the police to be corrected if they want credibility.”
Hon Ceesay reiterated that if the IGP doesn’t want the people to take the law into their own hands they must do what is right, they must work according to the dictate of the law of the land but should not act on people’s dictation.
“Is high time for the police to be serious so whatever cases they might have against Mariama Ceesay, I think the faster they put charges against her, and take her to court, is better you cannot hold someone for more than three days, and said you are still investigating. This is what happened in the past, we have closed the chapter but it seems to be back again,” he said.
