The Secretary-General and Party leader of the United Democratic Party (UDP) has said the detention of the party’s General Campaign Manager, Momodou Sabally, was politically motivated and meant to provoke and silence his party, noting that the party will not fall for the trap because they cannot stop them from talking.
Darboe spoke to the press earlier this afternoon after his party officials, Momodou Sabally and Sheriffo Bayo Sonko, detained him. Sabally was arrested in connection to the Tuesday night tragic shooting that took the lives of two young police officers, but a gunman suspected to be one Ousainou Bojang.
In condemning the detention of Sabally, Darboe noted that it is politically motivated, pointing out that it is meant to provoke the party.
“We are saying that the arrest of Momodou Sabally was not done to enforce any criminal law provisions. It was an arrest perpetuated by malice. It was an arrest surely intended to provoke Mr. Sabally. We will never be provoked. I will show you that what you are planning, we will not fail it,” Mr. Darboe noted.
The former Vice President of the Gambia questioned the timing of Sabally’s arrest, which came after UDP’s political opponents called for his arrest in a post he made.
Darboe further linked the attitude of the Police Intervention Unit officers to what happened during the tenure of former President Yahya Jammeh.
However, regardless of the continuous allegation of the PIU officers’ constant acts of brutality against UDP militants, Darboe said they cannot be stopped from talking. He said they can be incarcerated but cannot be silenced.
“This is an arrest intended to silence Momodou Sabally. But of course, you know, Momodou Sabally is like several leaders in the UDP. You can incarcerate us, but you cannot stop us from talking because the ideas we stand for, even if you incarcerate us, will continue to flood the street,” Darboe voiced.
Momodou Sabally, detained last night, is still with the police as they seek evidence about the tragic murder of two PIU officers on Tuesday night.
