The embattled former nominated National Assembly Member, Oley Sey, and Abdou Rahman Bah, head teacher of Sulayman Junkung Jammeh Nursery School, Abuko, were yesterday, Monday arraigned before Magistrate Lamin George of Banjul Magistrates’ Court on a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing.

According to the charge sheet as stated in count one, the two accused persons, Oley Sey and Abdou Rahman Bah, on or about 29th July 2008 in the city of Banjul and diverse places conspired together and stole the sum of D500,000.00 being the property of SulaymanJunkungJammehNursery school situated at Abuko.

Count two read that the accused persons on or about 29th July 2008 in the city of Banjul and diverse places stole the sum of D500, 000.00 being money belonging to Sulayman Junkung Jammeh Nursery School situated in Abuko.

In his objection to bail being granted to the accused persons, the police prosecutor, Cadet Inspector Keita, stated that since the case was reported about two weeks ago the police were investigating the matter. He submitted that the amount involved as indicated in the charge sheet is huge and that the investigating team is hoping to recover the amount. He added that the investigation into the case is far from over and that there was a likelihood that if the accused persons were granted bail, they might hinder the investigation process.

The court upheld the prosecution’s objection and remanded the accused persons until the next adjourned date.

The case was adjourned until 25th August 2008.

“We witnessed over 40,000 Liberian spectators in our match against Liberia so we would like the same thing for the Gambian team. The team played well and I was very happy to note the mentality and the motivation demonstrated by the boys. The free kick awarded against us which resulted in a goal,was not fair ; it was not a free kick at all. We also had three clear chances in the 2nd Half which Mustapha Jarju and Demba Savage got and could have utilised. I think we are on the right track, and with the help and support of the supporters and everybody, we can push the players over their limit. The players show a will to win. That is very important for any team. Ishall be looking for the video tape of the Senegal/ Algeria game to see where I will be working towards in preparation for our next game and try to make some adjustments.”

In his remarks, the Captain of the Scorpions, Ebou Sillah, said that he was very happy with the team’s performance. “We played well, as you know we are not used to playing together yet, but everyone was doing his job well.” He said that the game against Liberia is over “ so we need to focus and start working for our next game with Senegal as they are always a difficult team to play. Senegal is one of the top teams in Africa, and is a ‘derby’ game so it would not be an easy game,”He appealed to the general public to come out and give them support.“By the help of God I hope at the end of the day we will give them good results,” he stated.

It could be recalled that the Scorpions of The Gambia will host the Terranga Lions of Senegal in the Group 6 fixture of the World and African Cup qualifiers, on Sunday 8th Jun 2008.

The political crisis in Kenya caused major population movements that may require a repeat of cartographic mapping in some areas before the 2009 census, but plans for the official count are on track, a government official told IRIN.

"We are revising our work plan and looking at areas where we might have to repeat cartographic mapping but we expect to hold the census on 25 August 2009 as planned," said Chris Omolo, the census manager and principal economist at the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS).

"We expect to be through with cartographic mapping countrywide by March 2009, May at the latest."

With the support of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and other stakeholders, the development of all instruments for the exercise - manuals, questionnaires, etc - is expected to be ready in time.

Kemal Mustafa, UNFPA representative in Kenya, said early preparation was crucial. "Logistical mobilisation will not be easy as we head up to the census," Mustafa said. "Lack of census data slows down the process through which the government can plan for the numbers of people requiring services."

The January-February post-election violence had affected settlement patterns in parts of the country, Omolo said, but the statistics bureau had yet to assess the extent of this disruption.

"We expect things to go back to normal as we are now seeing many of those who had been displaced returning home," he said. If, by August 2009, there were still internally displaced persons in the country, then "they will be counted wherever they will be".

Nyanza, Rift Valley and Western provinces bore the brunt of the crisis.
"When the violence erupted, cartographic mapping had been done in Nyanza, Western and parts of Rift Valley, excluding Uasin Gishu and Trans Nzoia districts, where we had just undertaken sensitisation ahead of the mapping," Omolo said. "There are a few areas we may have to go back to and repeat the mapping. We have suspended mapping in some areas where there was massive population movement."

The bureau, he added, was currently focusing on areas least affected by the violence, such as Eastern and Central provinces, where cartographic mapping was ongoing.

"Though we have lost some time because of the crisis, we still expect to conduct the census on time; it all depends on how things settle in the next few months," Omolo said. "We base the census on the people's places of abode and come the census night, we will consider all households wherever they will be."

Given that the post-election crisis later took on ethnic dimensions, Omolo said, the bureau was treating the issue of formulating questions aimed at establishing ethnicity "very seriously".

During the census in 1989 and in 1999, respondents were asked their ethnic backgrounds. But whereas the data regarding ethnicity was made public after the 1989 census, the findings for the 1999 census were not, due to the "sensitivity" of the issue.

The process of formulating the questionnaire for the 2009 census is under way, Omolo said, adding that it took into account compatibility with international standards and past practice.

Zipporah Gathiti, UNFPA monitoring and evaluation officer, said the agency was supporting KNBS in the development of an advocacy strategy, through the establishment of publicity teams that would be sent out on sensitisation campaigns ahead of the census.

The agency was also assisting KNBS in its development of an internet-based software system, the Integrated Multi-sectoral Information System (IMIS), which would eventually make census data available to the public.

Data from the 1989 and 1999 census had been uploaded to IMIS, she said. "A population census is the most comprehensive data collection you can have," Gathiti said.

IRIN

Principal Magistrate, Moses Richards of the Kanifing Magistrate’s Court, recently sent one Tony Senghore, to remand at the State Central Prisons, after pleading not guilty of storebreaking and stealing, both   charges are contrary to the Laws of The Gambia.

According to count one, the accused on   17th August, 2007, at Kanifing South, broke and entered the store of one Amie Mbaye with intent to commit felony therein.

Count two states that the accused on the same day and place, stole 5 sewing machines, 8 stand fans and three pairs of scissors, all valued at D33,000,   being properties of   one Amie Mbaye.

At that juncture, Magistrate Richard   ordered the accused to be kept in remand till September 27, 2007.