20100401
africanews

The campaign manager of the main opposition party in the Gambia, United Democratic Party's Femi Peters has been sentence to one year mandatory jail with hard labour after being found guilty on two counts of unlawful assembly in Banjul.

Peters was also slammed with a $500 by the court; the convict is accused of holding a meeting without the approval from the office of the Inspector General of Police, a charge he vehemently denied when he appeared before the Banjul Magistrates court.

However, opposition supporters’ belief the verdict is a crack on the opposition ahead of the 2011 presidential election.

Sources told AfricaNews that after the court verdict many opposition sympathizers who appeared hopeless and shock were shedding tears while the embattled Politian is being whisk away by prison wardens.

Sources added that Ousainou Darboe, leader of the United Democratic Party, who also represented Mr Peters in court was unable to speak at the moment, is expected to file an appeal in the higher courts to challenge today’s verdict.