7 SOLDIERS DISMISSED, ARMY DENIES LINK TO DRUGS

Seven naval soldiers have been dismissed from their duties for what the army called “conduct prejudicial to good order and discipline.”
The dismissed men are; Lieutenant Abba Nyassi, Fleet Chief Petty Officer (FCPO) Musa Dampha, Warrant Officer Class 2 (WO2) Ismaila Jobe, Chief Petty Officer (CPO) Musa Jammeh, Chief Petty Officer (CPO) Alagie Secka, Chief Petty Officer (CPO) Ebou Marong and Leading Seaman (LS) Lamin DK Sanneh.
Their dismissal came on the hills of weeks of reporting on an alleged drug case involving soldiers of the Gambia Navy by popular online blog Open Gambia Platform. But army spokesman Captain Kemo Kanuteh yesterday told The Standard that as far he knows, the offences the soldiers have been dismissed for is not related to drugs.
Rather, the army explained in its statement that the soldiers were found to have “aided a clandestine network” operating under the guise of ALTIMA SEA SPORT LIMITED, which is currently under scrutiny for activities “inconsistent with its declared purpose.”   The statement did not indicate the nature of these activities,
It added that the dismissal of the soldiers was premised upon the conclusion of an internal investigation into “serious breaches of operational conduct and military discipline.
“This action follows the arrest of two privately owned speed boats and a yacht on 14 May, 5 and 12 June 2025, linked to activities that compromised national security and the integrity of our naval operations. Investigations led by military intelligence, in collaboration with relevant security agencies, uncovered compelling evidence of deliberate and coordinated misconduct. Among the findings were: the unauthorised preparation and launching of two privately owned speed boats; cell site analysis and communications data revealing direct involvement of the dismissed personnel; corroborated statements and observation of coordinated movement among the individuals involved; receipt of monetary rewards and other material benefits including Tobaski rams and compromised operational integrity and betrayal of assigned duties. The dismissed personnel acted in direct violation of military ethics, oath of service, and national trust. Their continued presence in the Armed Forces particularly within the Navy would pose a clear and unacceptable risk to operational security and mission integrity.”

Source: The Standard