Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – Yankuba Darboe, the man accused by police of staging a robbery at a forex bureau in one Kunkujang Estate, has denied the allegations, calling the claims by Inspector General of Police (IGP) Seedy Touray “false and misleading,” the Standard newspaper reports this Friday.

IGP Touray had told journalists that the police had arrested a suspect in connection with the incident and had confirmed that the robbery was staged. He further claimed that the suspect had even pleaded to repay the stolen money in exchange for the case to be dropped—an offer the police rejected. Though the police chief did not mention the suspect by name, 32-year-old Yankuba Darboe has come forward, identifying himself as the individual in question while strongly refuting the police’s version of events.

In an interview with The Standard, Darboe insisted that he was indeed a victim of an armed robbery on January 22, when three men stormed the forex bureau, tied him to a chair with a rope, and made away with cash from the bureau’s safe. He said he was later rescued by a nearby shopkeeper, who untied him and alerted his employer. The matter was then reported to the police.

However, Darboe said his ordeal worsened when he was detained for 14 days without bail. He alleged that while in detention, police officers presented him with a printout of his phone records, identifying a number linked to his friend’s younger brother, Badou. Badou was also arrested and held in custody for several days.

After two weeks in detention, Darboe was finally taken before the Bundung Magistrates’ Court, where he was granted bail set at D300,000 with three Gambian sureties.

Expressing frustration over what he described as “false narratives” by the police, Darboe said he was compelled to speak out after hearing the IGP publicly claim that he had staged the robbery and attempted to negotiate his release by offering to repay the stolen money.

“I would not have come to the media if the police were not giving out incorrect information to the public. I was really shocked when I heard them saying I staged the robbery. It is totally false, and Gambians should know the truth. I didn’t fabricate anything,” Darboe said.

He further alleged that while in custody, police officers pressured him to admit to staging the robbery, but he refused.

“The police were the ones trying to influence me during detention to accept that I made up the robbery. I told them I am a firm believer in fate and destiny and would rather go to Mile 2 [Prison] than admit to something I didn’t do,” Darboe added.

The case remains a matter of contention between Darboe and the police, raising further questions about investigative processes and due process in handling such cases.

Standard