The leader of the National Democratic Party (NDP), Kebba Madi Bojang, has alleged that Gambian authorities attempted to deport German businessman Muhammed Rainey, following his arrest by officers of the Gambia Immigration Department on Tuesday.
The attempted deportation came after a chaotic operation during which immigration officers sought to apprehend Rainey. Bojang was also involved in the incident and alleged that he was roughly handled by officers after attempting to intervene.
Speaking in an interview with Kerr Fatou TV, Bojang claimed that immigration officials escorted Rainey to the airport with the intention of placing him on a flight out of The Gambia. He said Rainey was later returned home and reportedly served with a 72-hour notice ordering him to leave the country.
According to the NDP leader, public outrage following videos of the arrest circulating on social media contributed to the postponement of the deportation.
Bojang called on the government to publicly explain the basis for its actions, arguing that Rainey has not been charged with any criminal offence.
“The authorities should tell Gambians what crime Muhammed Rainey has committed,” Bojang said, adding that his associate had not been formally accused of breaking any law.
He described Rainey as a long-time friend of many Gambians across the political spectrum, including members of the governing National People’s Party (NPP).
“It seems that the only crime Rainey committed is to be a friend of mine and the NDP,” Bojang alleged.
The NDP leader also linked the latest immigration action to Rainey’s earlier arrest by officers of the Police Special Investigations Unit (SIU), where he was detained for two days before being released.
According to the party, Rainey’s detention was politically motivated because investigators allegedly believed he was financing the NDP. The party claimed he was questioned primarily about the source of its campaign vehicles and motorcycles.
Meanwhile, The Standard newspaper, citing a senior government source, reported that Rainey had indeed been instructed to leave the country because his presence was considered “detrimental to peace and security.”
According to the newspaper, the source said the authorities had ordered Rainey’s removal after determining that his continued presence posed a threat to national peace and security.
The source, however, declined to disclose the specific grounds for that assessment, stating only that under Gambian law and immigration regulations, the Minister of the Interior has the authority to order the removal of a foreign national whose presence is deemed detrimental to the country’s peace and security.
Rainey, who is reportedly married to a Gambian citizen, has lived in The Gambia since 2020.
According to The Standard, his legal team has filed court papers seeking to prevent any attempt by the authorities to deport him.
Neither the Ministry of the Interior nor the Gambia Immigration Department had publicly responded to Bojang’s allegations at the time of publication.
