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NIA Confirms Detention of Journalist Fatou Jaw Manneh

The president of Gambia Press Union, Mr Madi Ceesay, yesterday intimated to this paper that the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) has confirmed the reported detention of Fatou Jaw Manneh, a US-based Gambian journalist.

Mr Ceesay stated that a delegation led by GPU and comprising of the Chief Executives of different media houses, including Pap Saine of The Point, Swaebou Conateh of News and Report and Sam Obi of Daily Express had a meeting with NIA to express their concern over the continued detention of Fatou Jaw Manneh.

The GPU president revealed that up to the time of the meeting, Ms Manneh had not been charged with any offence. He however said that the agency promised to speed up investigations into the matter.

In his reaction to the arrest and detention of Ms Manneh, the GPU president said: “In my own honest opinion journalists are not above the law. So if any journalist is found wanting, I have no objection to the arrest and detention of that journalist. But my concern is that such should be within the framework of the law. That is he/she should be charged within the 72 -hour limit.”

It could be recalled that Fatou Jaw Manneh, who arrived last Wednesday from the US to commiserate with her family on the death of her father, Pa Sainey Manneh, was arrested on arrival at the Banjul International Airport.

Fatou Jaw Manneh, said to be about 36, has been working with many on-line newspapers in Washington, D.C. where she had been for more than 10 years. Her arrest is alleged to be connected to her critical stance on the Jammeh administration.