Gambiaj.com – (KANIFING, The Gambia) – Members of Gambians Against Looted Assets (GALA) arrested ahead of the movement’s planned first anniversary gathering at the Westfield Youth Monument have reportedly rejected conditional police bail, insisting that authorities either release them unconditionally or formally charge them before a court.
The latest development emerged Monday morning after lawyers representing the detained youths were reportedly contacted by police to discuss bail conditions following nearly three days in detention at Kairaba Police Station.
However, according to sources familiar with the matter, the detainees refused to accept police bail, arguing that if the authorities believe they committed an offense, they should be arraigned before a court to answer the allegations.
The detained activists are said to prefer appearing before a magistrate to understand the basis of their arrest rather than accepting release without charges.
Lawyer Lamin J. Darboe was seen at the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court awaiting the possible arrival of both the detainees and prosecutors as uncertainty continued over the authorities’ next move.
The arrests followed a planned gathering on Friday marking one year since the formation of GALA, a movement that has become known for demanding accountability over alleged looted public assets.
According to GALA spokesperson Omar Saibo Camara, police stopped the event from proceeding after requesting that organizers produce a permit.
The group, however, maintains that it had already secured authorization from the Kanifing Municipal Council to use the Youth Monument for the anniversary event.
Meanwhile, one of the detainees, Maimuna Bah, who had allegedly embarked on a hunger strike after reportedly being denied access to sanitary pads while in custody, has since ended the protest.
Another GALA member, Musa Fatty, said the group would reject any bail conditions and intend to file a lawsuit against the Inspector General of Police over what he described as unlawful arrests and allegations of torture.
Supporters and observers remained gathered around Kairaba Police Station and the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court on Monday as the situation continued to unfold.
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