The founding leader of the Gambia Action Party (GAP) has been arrested, Freedom Newspaper can report. Musa Batchilly was taken into custody on Monday, when he reported to the Banjul police. This followed, a pending criminal charge against the controversial politician. His case stem out from a house, that he (Batchilly) sold to Mrs. Fatoumatta Baye, only for Mrs. Baye to later find out that the house in question doesn’t belong to Batchilly. His bail has been revoked.
Batchilly has been accused of obtaining money through false presence. He was alleged to have defrauded $12,000 dollars from Mrs. Baye. Mrs. Baye lives in the United States. She recently travelled to The Gambia, to witness Batchilly’s trial.
Her first port of call was Senegal, where she spent time with her family, before proceeding to The Gambia. She arrived in Banjul this past Friday.
She was accompanied by her brother Modou Baye to the Banjul police on Monday, where she found that Batchilly had been taken under custody. Batchilly tried to engage Mrs. Baye’s family into a conversation, so that they could find way of settling the matter amicably, but the family declined his proposal.
“When I visited the Banjul police today Monday, I was told that Batchilly has been arrested. He is supposed to appear in court on Tuesday. I never spoke to him. He tried to persuade my family to give him time to settle the money, but they refused. I am here to pursue my money from Batchilly. I was advised to be in court on Tuesday,” said Mrs. Fatoumatta Baye.
Also, speaking to the Freedom Newspaper, was Modou Baye, Fatoumatta Baye’s elder brother. “Batchilly has been arrested. His bail has been revoked. We have been advised by Commissioner Sanneh to be in court tomorrow. He is likely going to be tried in Kanifing or Brusubi. Sanneh said he is going to get back to us later on the actual venue for his trial,” Baye said.
Batchilly has been walking in and out of police since the formation of his GAP party. He is a familiar face to the police.
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