Two journalists of The Voice Newspaper were detained for several hours over a September 23, 2024 story which claims President Adama Barrow has chosen a successor as part of an exit plan.
Musa Sheriff Hydara, the editor-in-chief of the Newspaper alongside his deputy, Momodou Justice Darboe were called for questioning on 26 September and then later detained on separate days, at the police headquarters in Banjul. Both men were detained for “False Publication and Broadcasting” against President Adama Barrow.
The story, which was published on 23 September, contains claims that President Barrow has chosen a successor.
Hydara and Darboe were summoned on 26 September for interrogation at the police headquarters separately, for over two hours, after they received a letter from the president’s lawyer, Ida Drameh, threatening a defamation lawsuit over the story. The story stated that the president, Adama Barrow, plans on stepping down ahead of the 2026 election and has already chosen his successor as part of his exit plan.
Musa Sheriff Hydara, on the evening of 26 September, was released on bail. He was then asked to return on 27 September with the newspaper’s registration documents by the police. The author of the story, Momodou Justice Darboe, was charged with “False Publication and Broadcasting” and was detained overnight. Darboe was released the next day and instructed to report to the police on September 30, however Hydara was detained once more and charged with “False Publication and Broadcasting” on the same day.
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