One
Ousman Jarju, a native of Sibanor in Foni, has been arrested by the police on
suspicion that he was illegally keeping firearms.
According to sources, Mr Jarju had served the
Gambia National Army until 1992 when he resigned; he currently works at Brikama
Area Council as security.
Jarju
was suspected of being in possession of firearms that were entrusted to him by
some members of the State Guards who failed to return their arms after the
political impasse.
When
contacted, the police spokesperson, Inspector Foday Conta, confirmed the
arrest.
He
said Jarju’s arrest was in connection to an intelligence report the police
received that he was keeping firearms.
“Based
on that, the police probed into the matter to thoroughly investigate and
establish the facts of the allegation as it is a security concern,” he said.
“The
matter was referred to the police headquarters for proper investigation but
preliminary investigations have it that the evidences in the allegation are not
adequate and as a result, he [Jarju] is released on bail while investigations
continue.”
Meanwhile,
the office of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) warned the general public,
especially members of the armed and security forces, to abstain from keeping
firearms illegally.
The
office of the IGP, through the police PRO, warned that all arms belonging to
the state that were not returned due to the political impasse must be returned
with immediate effect otherwise anyone found wanting will be dealt with
seriously according to law.
