Police chief and head of immigration service arrested - police sources

The head of Gambia's police force, Inspector General Landing Badjie has been arrested without explanation, a police source told IRIN on Monday. The source confirmed a report in the Daily Observer newspaper that Badjie had been arrested on Saturday, along with Tamsir Jasseh, who was sacked as the government's director of immigration in 2003. The newspaper said both men were taken to the Mile Two high security prison near the capital Banjul. It speculated that they had either been arrested in connection with the murder of Deyda Hydara, a local newspaper editor who was shot dead in December, or in connection with a corruption scandal. Family sources meanwhile reported the arrest of Malick Leigh, who was sacked last week as Director of Technical Services at the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, and three lawyers; Baboucarr Camara, a senior official at the supreme court and Mary Samba and Suruhata Janneh, who were both in private practice. Leigh's name has been mentioned in government circles in connection with investigations into the alleged disappearance of nearly US$2 million from the Ministry's funds. Interior Ministry officials contacted by IRIN declined to comment on the reported arrests. Under Gambian law, detainees must be brought to court within 48 hours or released. However, there were no indications on Monday afternoon that any of those detained were about to make a court appearance. President Yaya Janneh, who came to power in this small West African country in a 1994 coup, has vowed to crack down on corruption in his government. Journalists and human rights activists have meanwhile voiced their suspiscions that the authorities had a hand in the killing of Hydara, whose newspaper, The Point, was a frequent critic of the government.