Modou Mbowe, a police officer posted at the Police Garage (in Kanifing) on trial was yesterday apprehended by the natives of Nyofelleh Village to the police for alleged mobile theft.
Mbowe is being detained at Sifoe Police Station and investigations into his case are ongoing.
When contacted by LTN to shed light on this case, the deputy Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Gambia Police Force, Cadet ASP Muhammed Y. Darboe confirmed his detention following his apprehension by the villagers on allegations of mobile theft. The police deputy PRO said Mbowe was on trial at the Police Garage but he is being investigated and has been charged with stealing, contrary to the Laws of The Gambia.
He said the police officer will be taken to court at the end of the investigations and if found guilty he will face the law.
Asked about the police reaction to this case, Deputy PRO Darboe said the news is shocking as they have known the suspect to be a competent driver at the Police Garage and had expected him to be a man of good character by all means. He added that the suspect, at the time of his enlistment into the police force had passed through all the necessary vetting and succeeded. He said the IGP Abdoulie Sanyang is very much concerned about accountability and transparency in the police force as part of the reforms agenda.
“If he is found guilty, he will be disciplined and interdicted. This will be different from the actions to be taken by the court as well,“ he remarked.
When asked about the rumours of a police warrant card found on him by the villagers who apprehended him, the deputy police spokesperson clarified that a license marked OSGG (meaning “On the Service of The Gambia Government“) was found on him.
Further quizzed about the taxi Modou Mbowe (the suspect) was using at the time of the alleged mobile theft at a shop in Nyofelleh village, the deputy police spokesperson said the suspect was not found with a police vehicle or any other Government vehicle, instead, he was found with a private taxi that he does business with.
Darboe stated that the said taxi is a private property of a PIU officer (name withheld) who gave him (the suspect) the Taxi to run a private business to score some financial gains for himself since he was not yet officially enrolled on the police payroll.
He concluded that if found guilty, the suspect’s action could be described as a betrayal of the police Code of Conduct which advocates for good mannerisms, professionalism, and a great premium on ethical values and standards.
