One Banna Ceesay of Tabanani village, Central River Region, was recently granted court bail in the sum of D20, 000 for the assault causing grevious bodily harm.

Mr Ceesay was arraigned before the Central River Region Travelling Magistrate Amadou Baldeh for causing grevious bodily harm, contrary to Section 214 of the Criminal Code cap 10 volume III laws of The Gambia.

According to the particulars of the offence, on 18th April 2008 at Tabanani village the accused person deliberately caused serious bodily harm to one Ma-sanneh Ceesay.

He denied the charge before the case was adjourned until 22nd September 2008.

In a related but separate development, one Ebrima Touray was also arraigned before the Central River Region travelling Magistrate Amadou Baldeh on a charge of careless driving.

According to the particulars of the offence, on 2nd June 2008 at Nije Kunda Juncture in the Lower Fulladu in the Central River Region South, the accused drove a motor vehicle with registration number BJL 2127C Benz without efficient breaking system there- by causing an accident.

He denied the charge.

He was granted court bail in the sum of D7000 before the case was adjourned until 22nd September 2008.

Three of the five sympathizers of the main opposition United Democratic Party, who were jointly charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm, yesterday heaved a sigh of relief when they were informed by a Western Region-based lower court that they were free from the charges.

Doudou Cassa Jaata, Maimuna Jobarteh and Natoma Conteh were among the opposition supporters that were rounded up shortly after the results were announced in the 2006 bye-election in Kombo East constituency. Some of them were whisked away to a police station a few kilometres away, and subsequently charged with assault, causing actual bodily harm.

Meanwhile before acquitting and discharging the trio of the charges, magistrate John Njie of the Brikama Magistrates’ Court pointed out that the acquittal and discharge of the opposition supporters was based on absence or dearth of evidence before the court, to warrant a conviction.

In a separate development, the trial of Lamin R. Darboe jointly charged with the three acquitted UDP supporters, resumed yesterday at the Brikama Magistrates’ Court but could not continue as billed.

The case is expected to resume next Monday.

Magistrate Buba Jawo of the Bundung Magistrates’ Court recently sentenced Lamin Kanyi and Sheriff Touray of Tallinding to serve eight months in jail after being found guilty of assault and battery.

Lamin and Sheriff were, though left with an alternative of paying a D4000 court fine each. They were also ordered to pay a compensation of D1000 to their victim.

According to the details of the case, the duo was among a group of boys who assaulted one Lamin Sanneh in April of this year in Tallinding by beating him all over his body and, as a result, caused him actual bodily harm.

Two people, Musa Marong and Ebrima Mbye, were on Monday, granted bail at the sum of D15,000, by Senior Magistrate Buba Jawo of the Bundung Magistrates’ Court.

The two were separately charged with assault and causing actual bodily harm and wilfull damage to property, both counts are contrary to Sections 228 and 312 sub-Section (1) of the Criminal Code, Laws of The Gambia. 

According to the particulars of offence, on or about August 17, 2007, at Mariama Kunda, Kombo North in the Western Region, Musa Marong wilfully and unlawfully assaulted one Ebrima Mbye, with a broken bottle and stabbed him on his hand, thereby causing him actual bodily harm.

The other charge stated that on or about August 17, 2007 at Mariama Kunda Kombo North, in the Western Division, Ebrima Mbye wilfully and unlawfully uprooted maize and cassava plants, valued at D2000, belonging to Musa Marong.

When the charges were read to them both men pleaded not guilty.  They were then granted court bail at the sum of D15,000, each with a Gambian surety. The case was adjourned to October 8, for hearing.

Corporal 438 Njie stood in for the IGP.

Amie Jaiteh, a native of Lamin village and the complainant in the assault case involving Neneh Jallow, Ousman Gaye, Awa Jallow and Oumie Bahum, on Tuesday told Brikama Magistrates’ Court, presided over by Magistrate EF M’Bai that she was seriously beaten by the four accused persons right from her compound gate to the kitchen.

According to her, on the day of the incident she left her compound to visit a friend in town when one of her daughters came to inform her that the fourth accused person’s child came to their compound and insulted them.

“When I came back home, I met the four accused persons at my compound gate insulting my children. I then told the accused persons to leave my home. Then Ousman Gaye, the second accused person, hit me and the other three joined him and beat me up to my kitchen gate, causing me bodily harm,” she explained.

She concluded that she then reported the matter to the Alkalo of Lamin, and then to Yundum Police Station, where she gave her statement.

Mariama Konateh, a house mate of the complainant, who also testified in the case, expressed similar sentiment.

Magistrate M’Bai then told the court that such disputes are internal cases between neighbours and should be amicably resolved by the village Alkalo, in order not to breach the neighbourhood-relation. He then adjourned the case to Wednesday 12 September, 2007, for continuation.

Police Prosecutor Cpl 413 Sanyang, represented the IGP.

Saikou Dampha, a resident of Bakau, was on Monday, remanded at the State Central Prisons at Mile II by Magistrate Pa Harry Jammeh of the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court.
Saikou was charged for assault which caused actual bodily harm and serious injuries to one Lamin Njie.

The incident occurred on April 27 at Cape Point in Bakau.
When the charge sheet was read to him, Saikou told the court that he wished not to say anything until he secures a lawyer. He told the court that he was in the process of hiring a legal representation.

Notwithstanding, Presiding Magistrate Jammeh remanded the accused to the Remand Wing until July 17, when the case will resume for continuation. Corporal 870 Touray represented the IGP in the trial.