President Adama Barrow has called for solution to prison congestion amid growing crime rate.

Mr Barrow was speaking at the swearing-in ceremony of Justice Amina Saho Ceesay as top justice of the Court of Appeal in Banjul.

He said: “As a result of this, the congestion of the prison and other shortcomings in our criminal justice system that can hinder our response capability to the rising crime rate need to be examined urgently, and appropriate solutions sought and administered.

“Mindful of the crucial role of the Judiciary in a democracy, all of us have to continue supporting the Judiciary for the fulfilment of our collective aspirations of promoting, protecting and enforcing the rule of law and respect for fundamental human rights in The Gambia.”

“A well-functioning independent and transparent Judiciary is an indispensable asset for a democracy such as ours. In return, public trust and confidence are key values that the Judiciary should always engender in the administration and dissemination of justice. In this way, sustainable peace and development would be achieved more readily,” the president added.

Last month, he ordered the Gambia Armed Forces to be on standby to help combat rising crime after police launched operation zero crime in the country.

The army has also launched a new operation dubbed Opertion Sanitise.

Reporting by Adama Makasuba