Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – The Kanifing Magistrate’s Court on Monday ordered 16 members and sympathizers of mainly two groups, Gambians Against Looted Assets (GALA) and Team Gom Sa Bopa, to be remanded at Mile II Central Prison until their next appearance, scheduled for 4 September 2025 at 12:30 p.m.
The ruling followed their initial court appearance, during which all 16 pleaded not guilty to charges of unlawful assembly.
Shortly after the decision, riot police fired tear gas to disperse crowds of protesters demanding the release of the detained youths. Demonstrators retaliated with stones and blocked sections of the road, escalating tensions and disrupting traffic around the courthouse.
Earlier in the day, the court premises had drawn dozens of supporters, sympathizers, and curious onlookers eager to witness the arraignment of those arrested during a demonstration near the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) complex on Friday. A heavy police presence was deployed both inside and outside the courthouse to maintain order.
The accused, including Lamin Daffeh, Lamin Sey, Badou Secka, Yusef Taylor, and Tumani Colley, were charged with “Control of Procession Contrary to Section 5(5) of the Public Order Act.” Prosecutors allege the group conducted an unlawful procession along Kairaba Avenue on 23 August 2025 without a police permit, an act they argued was likely to breach public peace.
However, the charges have sparked confusion and criticism, as Friday’s gathering at PURA was widely described as peaceful rather than a procession.
Police had earlier announced that bail was available under what they termed “reasonable conditions,” but many of the protesters rejected the terms, insisting they would not “beg for freedom.”
In a strongly worded statement, Gallas Ceesay, Program and Administration Director of GALA, condemned the arrests and detention as unlawful. “We should stand trial at the Kanifing Magistrate Court not as criminals, but as defenders of the people against a corrupt system. We refuse to beg for bail. We refuse to be silenced by backroom negotiations. Those days are over,” he declared.
Ceesay further vowed that GALA would challenge the legality of the arrests in court. “When the High Court reopens in mid-September, we will take the state to court for its unlawful arrests,” he said, stressing that the youth-led struggle against corruption extends beyond the courtroom. “It lives in the streets, in our voices, and in our refusal to bow down.”
The case has now placed the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court at the center of a mounting standoff between GALA and state authorities, with both sides showing no signs of backing down.
