New York, 12 Jul - (ANA) - A Gambian judge ordered the arrest of a journalist Tuesday on contempt of court charges, the third instance of a journalist being detained on such charges in as many weeks, according to local journalists.

Police arrested Sidiq Asemota, the legal affairs correspondent of the pro-government Daily Observer, while he was on assignment at the High Court in Banjul, the capital, his employer reported. Judge Emmanuel Nkea of the Special Criminal Court had issued an arrest warrant for Asemota on Friday, news reports said.

Asemota told Pa Malick Faye, the managing editor of the Daily Observer, over the phone that security agents were arresting him because of his June 9 story headlined “Two sentenced for forgery,” the newspaper reported. The story was about two Gambian citizens who Nkea had convicted of “economic crime and forgery of official documents.” Faye said that no complaint had been lodged about the story and that he was unaware of the cause of the arrest, according to the paper.

Asemota is being held at Mile 2 State Central Prison outside Banjul, according to the Observer. He is due to appear in court on July 13, reports said. (ANA)

FA/ANA/12 July 2012------------------