Gambiaj.com – (KANIFING, The Gambia) – Fourteen members and supporters of the pressure group Gambians Against Looted Assets (GALA) arrested during the movement’s first anniversary gathering at the Westfield Monument are now being formally charged and processed before the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court after rejecting police bail conditions.
In a statement issued on Monday, The Gambia Police Force said the individuals were arrested on Friday, May 8, for what it described as an “unlawful assembly” after they allegedly failed to obtain a police permit for the gathering.
Police said the detainees were initially granted bail on conditions requiring “one Gambian surety and a bail bond of D50,000.” However, according to the statement, the group declined the conditions and instead demanded unconditional self-bail.
“The individuals further indicated their preference for the matter to proceed before the court,” the police statement added.
As a result, authorities said the activists are now being charged with unlawful assembly under Section 63 of the Criminal Offences Act, 2025, and common nuisance under Section 137(1) of the same law.
The latest development marks a significant escalation in the standoff between the activists and law enforcement authorities following Friday’s arrests at the Westfield Monument, where GALA members had planned to commemorate the movement’s one-year anniversary.
Sources familiar with the matter told reporters that the detainees deliberately refused police bail because they wanted the legality of their arrest tested in open court.
According to the sources, the activists argued that if the authorities believed they had committed an offense, they should be formally arraigned before a magistrate rather than released on conditional police bail without charges.
The detainees are said to want a judicial explanation for the basis of their arrest and prosecution.
By Monday morning, prominent lawyer Lamin J. Darboe was seen at the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court awaiting the possible arrival of both the detainees and prosecutors as uncertainty lingered over when the matter would be called.
The police, meanwhile, urged members of the public to comply with laws governing public assemblies.
“The Gambia Police Force wishes to remind the public to remain law-abiding and to comply with established legal procedures governing public assemblies and related activities in order to maintain public order and safety,” the statement said.
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