NO Bail Granted To Amnesty 4

The arrestees arrived in Banjul at 13:30 GMT aboard the Banjul-Barra Ferry. They were escorted by a CID Officer  Mr. Ceesay and a Police Officer  Sonko who immediately whisked them to the Banjul Police Headquarters. One of the detainees, Lamin Barrow, the driver was released at 13.45GMT.

Human Right Lawyers Sheriff Tambedou and Lamin Camara arrived at the Police Headquarters 25 minutes later to request for their bail , but it was flatly denied. They were asked to return on Monday to workout the modalities for a bail.

After an intense push and pull the Lawyers were later allowed to speak to the three remaining detainees. Yahya was wearing a black and yellow T-Shirt and white trousers, Ayodele Ameen wearing white and blue shirt with blue jean trousers, while Tania Bernath was in black  T-shirt with light green trousers. Their clothes were covered with dust and they all look weary and frustrated. They complained of poor detention conditions at Basse, and that no food was given to them. Ameen, a Muslim observing Ramadan continued fasting  for two days. According to their explanation to the lawyers, they were arrested at around 7pm Saturday by an NIA officer identified only as Ebrima, and Omar Sowe, the Officer Commanding NIA Basse-URR and taken to the Commissioner, Omar Khan’s residence in Basse where they were interrogated for one hour. They were then transfered to the Basse Police Station where they spent the rest of the night. At the Police Station, they were asked to write statements, but they declined, saying they must see their lawyers first. Then at 1:00Am, they were woken up and told to write statements, but they persistently declined. According to them, they were not formally charged with any crime but the police accused them of spying. They however, did not complain of any torture, but there was no food for them for the two days. The first thing they demanded soon after they docked at Banjul Terminal was food, which was finally ordered.

Dampha was thrown in cell, while Tania was on the counters, seated on a wooden bench. She looked worried and tired. She could not hide her frustrations from the lawyers and other members of the media who were visiting. She asked the CID in charged at the Banjul police one Mr. Nasso, “where am I going to sleep? Then the police just replied “Here!!”- referring to the floor or the wooden bench used only for seating purposes. Dampha then complained that at Basse also, conditions at the prison were terrible that they had to spend the whole night outside-Yaya, Tania, Ameen and Barrow.