Inspector General of Police
The Gambia Police Force has denied claims that it has deployed personnel at Kanifing Municipal Council to reinstate the suspended CEO.
Reacting to the Monday incident, the institution in a statement stated that a section of its personnel seen at the council was on ‘normal routine patrols’ responding to ‘credible intelligence that there was a security situation at the KMC premises that had the potential to degenerate into conflict.’
Below is the full statement
“PROACTIVE POLICING MISINTERPRETED…
“The Gambia Police Force has learned with dismay the claims that personnel from the Police Intervention Unit (PIU) were deployed to the Kanifing Municipal Council grounds to install the suspended CEO.
“Contrary to such claims, a section of the Police Intervention Unit that was deployed on normal routine patrols responded to credible intelligence that there was a security situation at the KMC premises that had the potential to degenerate into conflict.
“In our quest to be proactive as a strategy merited on intelligence led policing, the patrol team went to the incident scene ONLY for surveillance and monitoring with the sole objective to de-escalate the apparent tension. The team left the scene subsequently without interference.
“The public is assured that the GPF is fully cognisant of its mandate embedded in the 1997 Constitution of the Republic of the Gambia and would continue to uphold [the] same in all its operations.
“Consequently, the police will always ensure that peaceful means of dispute resolution within a democratic climate is adhered to in accordance with relevant laws of the land.
“We commend the team for promptly responding to intelligence and acting proactively to avert any form of violence,” the statement concluded.