The Gambia Police Force (GPF) on Monday arrested and detained former Gambia Radio and Television Services (GRTS) broadcaster Malick Jones, the Banjul-based Independent Daily, The Point Newspaper, confirmed on Tuesday. According to other sources, Mr. Jones was picked up from his house in Serre Kunda, Gambia’s second city, and taken to an undisclosed detention centre by the police who were yet to give reasons for their move. This is the second time in less than two months that Mr. Jones has run into trouble with Gambian authorities. On Friday April 4th 2008, he was arrested and detained by men from Gambia Armed Forces, for allegedly “insulting” President Yahya Jammeh. Prior to that on 9 September, 2007, Mr. Jones and former State House Press Officer, Mam Sait Ceesay were arrested and held incommunicado at two separate locatio n s by personnel of National Intelligence Agency (NIA). They were arraigned at the Banjul Magistrate’s Court on 12 September and charged with “passing information to a foreign journalist”. The Court later granted them bail in the sum of 200,000 Dalasi (approximately US $9,500) each.
