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Customs officer acquitted and discharged

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 05:41:48 GMT

Tuesday, December 02, 2008

The Brikama Magistrates Court, presided over by Magistrate Pa Harry Jammeh, last Monday acquitted and discharged one Yahya Keita, a customs officer who was charged with stealing D1680 from his the Department of Customs, now the Gambia Revenue Authority.

Magistrate Jammeh said the prosecution did not prove its case beyond reasonable doubt, which he said is required in any criminal case. He said Keita - who worked for the Customs Department for over 34 years had never had a problem with the law.

He noted that the court was aware that there was some money missing when Keita was audited by his department but it was not established that he stole the missing balance. The court further ordered that Keita be reinstated and all his dues be paid back to him.

The was represented by Lawyer L K Mboge while the IGP was represented by Inspector Samateh.

Author: By Modou Kanteh

Alleged Criminal Trespasser Charged

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 06:18:05 GMT

Monday, December 01, 2008

One Dembo Jarju of Busumbala recently appeared at the Brikama Magistrates’ Court on a charge of criminal trespass.

According to the particulars of the alleged offence, on 16thNovember 2008 at Busumbala, Kombo North District in the Western Region the accused unlawfully entered the compound of one Isatou Fatty and insulted her.

When the charge sheet was read to him in the language he claims to understand, he pleaded not guilty.

Meanwhile the accused was remanded in custody until the next adjourned date, which is 3rdDecember 2008.

Author: Yai Dibba

Three Charged With Abduction

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 04:51:10 GMT

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Okemma Ockechukhu, alias Prince, Benjamin George and Fatou Sarr were recently arraigned before the Bundung Magistrates’ Court presided over by Magistrate Amina Saho charged with abduction.

The trio according to the particulars of offence on count one are that on or about the year 2008 at Brusubi and diverse places, the accused persons conspired to confine and abduct one Abdou Wadane. Count two stated that in the year 2008, in Brusubi and diverse places, the accused persons intended to secretly abduct and confine one Abdou Wadane, a Moroccan national. They however pleaded not guilty to the offence.

Inspector Jahateh, who stood in for the Inspector General of Police, informed the court that he is against granting the accused persons bail as two of them are Nigerian nationals who may jump bail and abscond the jurisdiction.

He however did not object to the third accused person’s bail as, according to him, she is married with two children. At length, the presiding Magistrate remanded the two men at the State Central Prison.

Author: Malamin Conteh

CRIME WATCH: Who is a suspect?

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 03:15:46 GMT

Thursday, November 27, 2008

A suspect is a person who is believed to be linked with a crime. Commonly, law enforcement officials think that the suspect is the perpetrator, the person who actually committed a crime.

Depending on the nature of a case, several suspects may emerge and be eliminated with the assistance of detective work, or police may only have a single suspect to work with. Sometimes no suspect emerges. If a witness positively identifies someone as the person who committed a crime, that person is more properly known as the perpetrator.

The difference between suspect, accused, and perpetrator can get a bit complicated, and these terms are sometimes misused, especially in the press. When law enforcement personnel believe that someone has committed a crime without any solid proof, that person is considered a suspect. Suspects may have behaved unusually, left trace evidence at a crime scene, and so forth, but they have not been positively identified as the actors who committed the crime.

Suspects may be temporarily taken into custody for questioning, and they may also be asked to submit samples of hair, fibers, and so forth to see if they can be matched with evidence found at the crime scene. If a suspect is formally brought to trial, he or she becomes the accused. The accused is entitled to an assortment of rights which are not available to a suspect, in recognition of the fact that the accused needs to be able to mount an effective defense in court. If the outcome of a trial is a guilty verdict, the accused becomes the convicted, and goes on record as the perpetrator.

Police sometimes use the term "person of interest" to describe a suspect. This term is used in part because of the negative associations with the word "suspect." Many members of the general public confuse suspects with perpetrators, and when it is announced that someone is a suspect in a case, the public may assume that this means he or she actually committed the crime. A person of interest, on the other hand, is simply someone the police would like to have a conversation with.

The use of the term "suspect" to describe someone who may be involved with a crime dates back to the late 16th century. Since then, the legal system has changed radically, and there are many steps between being listed as a suspect and being convicted of a crime. Suspects are also entitled to certain legal rights in many nations such as the right not to implicate themselves in a crime, and typically they can only be held in custody for a brief period of time before they must either be formally charged or released.

Author: by Yunus Salieu

Two Nigerian Nationals Charged

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 06:19:17 GMT

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Two Nigerian nationals, Chinnye Okwara 22 years old, and Chigozie 32 years, were yesterday charged and arraigned before Magistrate Lamin George of the Banjul Magistrates’ Court.

The duo is being charged with being in possession of stolen property and of being rogues and vagabonds. They denied the charges.

In Count One, the particulars of the offence state that on 4th November 2008 at Tallinding and diverse places in The Gambia, the accused persons were found in possession of D820 and 1100 Euros, suspected to have been stolen or unlawfully obtained, or could not give an account of their possession.

On Count Two, the alleged offence was that on 4th November 2008 in the city of Banjul and diverse places, the accused persons were suspected or reputed thieves who have no visible means of substance, and could not give a good account of themselves and found wandering in bank premises along the ECOWAS Avenue and Nelson Mandela street in Banjul.

Meanwhile the accused persons should at least furnish one legal practitioner who would stand as surety and enter into a recognizance in the sum of D20, 000.

The case was adjourned to 2nd December 2008.

Author: Modou Sanyang

Three Charged for Giving False Information to Two Foroyaa Reporters

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 05:00:34 GMT

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Three suspects, namely Mariama Touray, Ebrima Touray and Abdou Fatty were on the 24th day of November 2008, arraigned before Magistrate Kumba Sillah Camara, of the Bundung Magistrates Court.

The accused persons charged for allegedly giving false information to two reporters of the Foroyaa newspaper at Foroyaa newspaper in Churchills town and they had also conspired to commit a misdemeanor.

According to the charge sheet, on count (1) the accused Mariama Touray, Ebrima Touray, and Abdou Fatty, on the 21st July 2008, at Churchills town, the accused persons gave false information to two of the Forayaa reporters namely Musa Barrow and Abubacarr SaidyKhan at Forayaa newspaper, that one Dado Jallow gave some money to Tallinding police station to arrest some youths in Tallinding.

On other count, the particulars of the offence are that on 21st July 2008, at Churchill’s Town, the accused person conspired to commit a misdemeanor, by informing Foroyaa reporters that Agie Dado Jallow gave some money to the Tallinding police Station.

The accused person pleaded not guilty to both count charges.

PWI Agie Dado Jallow while rendering her testimonies, told the court that on the 21st July 2008, while sitting in her shop together with her husband and her friend, she suddenly saw two men asking for Dado Jallow. PWI further stated that she told them she is Agie Dado, adding that the two men claimed to be a Foroyaa reporter, and one of them asked her whether she has given money to Tallinding police station, to arrest some youths in Tallinding. Testifying PWI told them no I don’t give out money to people, I only give out to help people.

The case was at that juncture adjourned to the later date

Author: Malamin Conteh

‘I am not guilty 100 times” - ‘Kidnapper’ declares

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 04:41:26 GMT

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Two men and one woman were on Wednesday arraigned before the Honourable Master of the High Court, Aminata Saho Ceesay, who was presiding over the Bundung Magistrates Court on behalf of Acting Principal Magistrate Kumba Sillah Camara.

The trio were charged on two counts of conspiracy and abduction. According to the facts, Okenuwa Ikechukwu (aka Prince), aged 25; Benjamin George, aged 34; and Fatou Sarr, aged 23; on 6 November 2008 at Brusubi conspired to secretly abduct and confine one Abdallah Wadani.

When their pleas were taken, Ukenuwa Ikechukwu said “I am not guilty 100 times”. His co-accused pleaded not guilty as well. Inspector Jahateh, the prosecutor, said he opposed bail for them based on the fact that two of the accused persons are not Gambians.

Honourable Master Aminata Saho Ceesay ruled that the three accused persons be taken to Mile II for remand until the next adjournment date for Magistrate Sillah-Camara to use her discretion to decide on their bail.” The case was adjourned to 24 November 2008. Inspector Jahateh represented the IGP.

Author: by Yunus S Saliu

D70,000 bail for ‘violent man’

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 04:35:07 GMT

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

One Mustapha Njie was on Monday arraigned before Acting Principal Magistrate Kumba Sillah-Camara of the Bundung Magistrates Court charged with intent to intimidate, annoy and threatening violence.

He pleaded not guilty when the charge sheet was read to him in Wollof. According to the particulars of offense, Mustapha Njie, on the 6th of October 2008, threatened to kill one Amie Njie.

He was granted bail in the sum of 70,000. The case was adjourned to December 8th 2008 for continuation.

Author: by Bekai Njie

‘Dodgy’ businessman in court

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 04:32:22 GMT

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Alhagie Ngum, a businessman residing in Serekunda charged with obtaining money by false pretext, was on Tuesday granted bail in the sum of D70,000 after appearing before Senior Magistrate Sainabou Wadda-Ceesay of the Kanifing Magistrates Court.

According to the particulars of the offense, Alhagie Ngum in 2007 at Serekunda in the Kanifing Municipality, obtained the sum of D58,500 from Fadal Faal and five others on the pretext that he would provide them with shops.

When the charge sheet was read to him, Alhagie Ngum informed the court that he would prefer to seek for the services of a counsel before taking his plea.
Magistrate Sainabou Wadda-Ceesay then granted him bail in the sum of D70,000 with one Gambian surety. She adjourned the case to December 15. Inspector Fadera stood in for the IGP.

Author: by Salifu M Touray

Another Charged for Giving False Information to GRTS DG

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 03:59:17 GMT

Thursday, November 20, 2008

One James Gomez was yesterday arraigned before Principal Magistrate Edrissa Mbai of the Banjul Magistrates’ Court charged with giving false information to a public officer contrary to section 114 of the criminal code cap 10 volume III laws of The Gambia 1990.

According to the particulars of the offence, the accused James Gomez sometime in the month of November 2008 at Banjul and diverse places informed Mr Momodou Sanyang, Director General GRTS that the president phoned him and he (the President) was waiting for a letter to be delivered to him hand to hand without passing through the protocol or anyone else. The information he knew or believed to be false and thereby committed an offence. He denied the charge.

Meanwhile, he was granted court bail in the sum of D100, 000 with a Gambian surety who must prove means to the court. The condition further stipulated that he should not leave the jurisdiction without the knowledge of the Inspector General of Police.

The case was adjourned to 1stDecember 2008.

In a separate development, one Hammadi Sowe was also arraigned before the same Magistrate charged with funds received by agents for sale contrary to section 248 of the criminal code cap 10 volume III laws of The Gambia, 1990.

Count one, the particulars of the alleged offence revealed that the accused Hammadi Sowe between January and September 2008 at Banjul and diverse places received an amount of D500, 000 from Alhagie Ceesay, the Chief Protocol Officer at State House to buy and sell cattle and failed to pay or account for the proceeds to the person from whom it was received and thereby committed an offence.

While on two, the alleged offence disclosed that the accused between January and September 2008 at Banjul and diverse places received an amount of D700, 000 from Alhagie Ceesay, the Chief Protocol Officer at State House to purchase breeding for cows and failed to deliver the head of cattle in exchange for the amount received and thereby committed an offence. He denied the charges.

The case was adjourned to 3rdDecember 2008.

Author: Modou Sanyang