APRC has dismissed as “false and baseless” a claim made by a Senegalese journalist Pap Sané of interviewing former president Yahya Jammeh in exile.

According to Pape Sané, his interview with the former Gambian leader revealed interesting tales about his relationship with former Senegalese president Macky Sall, the nature of his exile in Equatorial Guinea among other things.

However, APRC splinter group backing Jammeh, rejected the journalist’s claims. 

“The journalist in question, Pa Saine, claims to have been granted an interview by the former president Sheikh Professor Dr. Alh Yahya AJJ Jammeh. These claims are fake, false, and misleading.

“Former President Jammeh has not spoken to any media house or individual journalist since he left The Gambia in January 2017. The media team of APRC under Babili Mansa vehemently refutes a recent viral video circulating on social media, purportedly published by the Senegalese newspaper Atlantic Magazine,” the group’s spokesman Yankuba Jammeh said.

He added: “This news has been categorically denounced as false and baseless, with clear indications of manipulation aimed at garnering increased attention from the Senegambian audience or readership. The interim party leader Hon. Yaya Tamba, NEC, and entire party members challenge Mr. Pa Saine to retract his claims and cease publication immediately. Mr. Yaya Tamba has also confirmed that the Supreme Leader has not granted an interview to any journalist or media establishment since he left the soil of The Gambia.”

The group urged Pap Sane “to retract the purported headline and desist from publishing such fake news articles about our party leader”. 

Reporting by Adama Makasuba