The AU Villa is a residence to a High Court Judge and the area is an abode to many government officials.
The armed robbers, according to reports, entered the High Court Judge’s residence while the two police officers on duty were asleep.
The Government Spokesperson Ebrima Sankareh told West Coast Radio on Tuesday that the officers on duty on the day of the incident have been relieved of their duties.
“Sergeant Lamin I. Kunjabi and Corporal Sadibou Badjie were discharged from the Gambia Police Force,” Sankareh said. “Each of them has been charged with three counts.
Count 1 is disobedience to orders, count: 2 negligence of duty and count 3: discreditable conduct.
However, it was adduced that aside of this incident, the two officers have been described as good police officers and the “government will therefore discharge them from the force with benefits. Sankareh said, but would also enjoy the full benefits due to them.”
On the morning of the investigations, according to the spokesperson, some officers from the Anti-Crime Unit of the Police went to the scene while conducting an investigation where the two officers were arrested and taken to Brusubi Police Station.
Afterwards the spokesperson said: “The police mounted an investigation panel, it was very fast actually and then in Banjul the modalities were worked out.
“This actually reached the highest office, government or the state thought this was embarrassing and it shouldn’t be encouraged and the previous action was recommended and when the Police High Command finally met having the totality of the circumstances, they decided that these people or the duo were no longer fit to serve as police officers.”
“So you can see these are very serious charges, disobedience to orders, negligence of duty and discreditable conduct.”
The spokesperson defended the decision to grant benefits to them, saying their past record showed they were hardworking police officers while referencing the records, saying one of them is a sergeant which showed he has risen through the ranks while the other was a young corporal.
He added that before the incident occurred, their records showed they were exemplary officers.
According to the government mouthpiece, due process was followed in the entire process giving time to the discharged officers to explain how the incident happened.
