NIA Questions The Voice Editors

Agents of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) on Wednesday invited five editors The Voice Newspaper for questioning at their headquarters in Banjul.

The editors – Musa S. Sheriff, proprietor and Editor-in-Chief; Mafugi Ceesay, Sub-Editor; Amadou Bah, Marketing Officer; Sulayman Ceesay, News Editor and Bakary Ceesay, Editor of Political Desk – were grilled for five hours. Apart from their passport photos being taken, the editors were subjected to background checks.

Mr. Sheriff was asked questions about so many questions, including how The Voice was established, its financial status and its sponsors or source of funding. The interrogating agents also wanted to know whether the paper has any links with Gambians abroad or receives funds from non-governmental organisations overseas.

The interrogators, who asked about The Voice’s legal documents, were interested in knowing the paper’s relations with The Gambia government.

“I told the agents that The Voice was legally registered and that it has no sponsorship or support from anybody or organisation – both home and abroad,” Mr. Sheriff said. Although the paper has attained an independent editorial policy, Mr. Sheriff went on, it however have good relations with the government and the society at large. Our stance is that we do not compromise on the independence of the paper’s editorial policy,” Sheriff had reportedly told the agents.

Ends