The 14 supporters of the opposition United Democratic Party were on Tuesday freed on bail. This resulted after the 12 men and 2 women appeared before Principal Magistrate Dayoh Small-Dago in Brikama. They were charged with unlawful assembly and prohibition of conduct conducive to a breach of peace.
All the accused persons pleaded their innocence. Their detention and arraignment came following their arrest on February 14 at Madiana village in Kombo South.
Each of the accused was bailed in the sum of D250, 000. Their bail bond also included producing a Gambian surety with a landed property in West Coast Region.
The case was adjourned to February 24, 2014.
This latest development has prompted the UDP executive to hold series of high level consultation meeting with its members and supporters. The party leadership believed the clamp down is politically motivated because the accused persons did not violate any law, for they were holding a consultation meeting in a private home and were not using microphones or loud speakers.
“It’s a game devised to bring down the party through whatever means,” an opposition activist told Kairo News. “Police commanders have been remote controlled by the APRC bureau to act.”
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The UDP must come out with a different plan since the softy softy approach isn’t working. Dictators flout the very laws they help create and Jammeh won’t be different. All these court cases are calculated to bankrupt the party and waste valuable time.
It’s time to stand up to the bull dog and let him know that the UDP’s love of peace and quiet doesn’t mean the party can’t fight back.
Thank you lamin toure you said it all