A line of stalls were last week demolished, turning the area into a ground zero, by personnel of the Tourism Security Unit, following allegations that the owners had been using the area to trade in illicit drugs.

According to Abdou Touray, one of the affected victims, who used to run a coffee shop there, the demolition came as a result of a problem between them and Ebrima Manneh, the chief engineer at the Jerma Beach Hotel. Explaining the circumstances that led to the demolition, Mr Touray recalled that Manneh had contracted five of them to dig a 150 metre-long pit for electric fire cable in September, 2007. He claimed that Manneh had initially refused to pay them after the work had been completed. "He later paid us when we reported him to the Kotu Police Station," he said.

"He then threatened to demolish all the shops and stands opposite the hotel and eventually went to the GTA where he alleged that we used the area to sell drugs," Touray told the Daily Observer.

Mr Touray dismissed allegations of trade in illicit drugs as baseless, adding that they only sell craft works and food stuff.

Yorro Jallow, another shopkeeper victim in the area, said his belongings were thrown out during the demolition process. A native of Dankunku Village in Central River Region, Mr Jallow said that he used the shop as a shelter himself and his wife. He bemoaned the fact that the exercise has rendered him homeless and jobless.

"I don't even know why my shop was demolished, because I have all the required papers to legally operate the shops," he bewailed, while looking at the remains of his demolished shop.

Reacting to the counter-comment, Mr Manneh expressed dismay with the counter-allegations. "I am just an engineer. I don't have the power to order eviction or demolition. It's just that my arrival at the hotel on the said day coincided with the coming of the GTA soldiers. So the shopkeepers think that I was the one responsible?," he questioned.

Baba Darboe, the assistant manager of Jerma Beach Hotel, told the Daily Observer the allegations against Mr Manneh were completely unfounded, as he [Manneh] did not have that authority as a hotel employee to meddle in such matters.

He pointed out that Jerma Hotel did not own the space where the stalls were erected, adding that it's not responsible for the demolition.

However, he confirmed that they had complaint to GTA about disturbances that were emanating from the shopkeepers and taxi drivers on account of the concerns by their guests whose rooms are adjacent to the cluster of shops. "We have 60 rooms which are directly adjacent to the shops and the guests in these rooms usually complain of the noise coming from outside. Apart from this, we don't have any hand in the matter," he concluded.