By: Alieu Ceesay
A senior police officer testified in court that he personally ordered the use of tear gas to disperse a group of protesters gathered outside the National Audit Office (NAO) in September 2025, an incident that led to the arrest of several youth leaders.
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Landing Bojang appeared as a witness before Principal Magistrate Isatou Sallah M’Bai at the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday. He was testifying in the trial of three accused individuals—Kemo Fatty, Alieu Bah, and Omar Camara—who face charges of unlawful assembly without police permission.
The protest occurred on September 15, 2025, amid widespread public outrage over the controversial removal of Auditor General Modou Ceesay. Activists from groups like Gambians Against Looted Assets (GALA) had gathered at the NAO to denounce the dismissal and attempted to hold a press conference.
ASP Bojang told the court that he was on duty with the Kanifing Police Intervention Unit (PIU) that day. His commander summoned him to Kairaba Police Station, where Commissioner Jaiteh briefed him on the situation.
“The Commissioner told me that there are people at the NAO who wanted to hold a press conference without a permit, and they should be dispatched,” Bojang recalled.
Upon arriving at the scene, Bojang said he met senior officer Dawda Jallow, and the two attempted to negotiate with the crowd to disperse. He described shouting at the group, informing them they lacked a permit to assemble.
During cross-examination by defense counsel L.S. Camara, who represents the accused, the witness was directly asked who authorized the deployment of tear gas.
“Who gave the instruction for the tear gas to be thrown?” Counsel Camara inquired.
“It was me,” ASP Bojang affirmed.
He added that the action contributed to the arrests but clarified that he did not personally arrest any of the defendants.
The testimony highlighted inconsistencies in identification: When asked by the police prosecutor to identify the accused, Bojang recognized only Alieu Bah. He mistakenly identified Kemo Fatty as Omar Bah and noted that Omar Camara was absent from court that day.
Tensions rose in the courtroom when the police prosecutor, Assistant Commissioner A. Sanneh, questioned the witness about his knowledge of the specific reasons for the arrests. The exchange prompted Magistrate Sallah M’Bai to call both legal teams into her chambers for a private discussion.
Upon returning to open court, the case was adjourned to February 16, 2026, for the continuation of evidence from the fourth prosecution witness.
