Even though he has denied assaulting the renowned Gambian economist and activist Nyang Njie, 39-year-old Banjul native Kelifa Bah, the son of the late Banjul Mayor Lai Bah, has been charged with assault by the Banjul police, Freedom Newspaper can report. Phoning us from Banjul, Mr. Bah, has rebuffed Nyang Njie’s assault allegations against him, saying that the allegations were false and totally unfounded.
Narrating the circumstances that led to his encounter with Mr. Njie, Bah, who is the first son of the late Mayor Lai Bah, said, he was hanging out with his boys along Mosque road and Lancaster street, where he spotted Nyang Njie’s car parked. Bah’s car was also parked along the same street.
“I took a walk towards him (Nyang Njie) and confronted him over his recent Facebook video, in which he belittled, and disrespected the people of Banjul. He had branded the people of Banjul as people, who were born on a Saturday. When I confronted him about the video, Nyang told me, that he was not referring to the entire population of Banjul. He also told me, that the video was edited. He denied making the remarks that were attributed to him. He appeared nervous, and panic stricken when I confronted him. I never assaulted him. He was not touched at all,” said Mr. Bah in the local Wollof dialect.
“While I was talking to Nyang, I saw a crowd walking towards us. My friend Pa Jobe came, and he helped him to leave the area safely. Nyang later took to his heels. He ran away. He fell on the road while running, he later entered a nearby carpentry workshop. He was walked into his car through another home, and he later left. Nyang was not touched by the crowd. The crowd was less than 15 people. Interestingly, the people in Banjul do not know him. Very few people knew him. In order to avoid the crowd assaulting him, he was helped by Pa Jobe to safely leave,” Mr. Bah added.
Nyang Njie later filed a criminal compliant against Kelepha Bah. Bah was later interviewed by the police. He has been charged with assault. His bail bond was set for D10,000 dalasis. He has been asked to report to the police on Monday.
“I have been asked to report to the Banjul police on Monday. I have been charged with assault. God knows that I did not touch Nyang Njie. I never assaulted him. Yes, I confronted him, that happens, but for him to claim that I assaulted him, that is false. It is the figment of his own imagination. I think he is out to get me. I have been falsely accused,” Bah said.
Mr. Bah has denied harboring any grudges against Mr. Nyang Njie. He recalled meeting Mr. Njie sometime ago, while he (Bah) was chilling with Mr. Njie’s cousin.
He says he introduced himself to Njie and told him that he was Lai Bah’s son.
“When I raised his past stories about my Dad with him, Nyang apologized to me. We had a friendly conversation during that encounter. I was with one of his cousins when I met him. For him to say that, that was the reason why I confronted him, that is false. I confronted him because of his utter disrespect to the people of Banjul. I was not out to assault him. I just wanted to have an adult conversation with him, to let him know that his remarks were inappropriate. He reported the matter to the police, not me. I never reported anything to the police. He told on me,” said Mr. Bah.
Mr. Bah said Nyang Njie has told the police that he (Njie) doesn’t know him. He also said he equally doesn’t know Njie. Though, he said he recognized him.
Our interview with Kelepha Bah would be aired in our Sunday prime time Leral show. Stay tuned.
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