Muhammed Bah, a Guinea national, has admitted defiling a 13 year-old girl.

The man pleaded guilty yesterday 28th August 2008 on a charge of having carnal knowledge of a girl under the age of 16, but pleaded not guilty on a charge of unlawfully having carnal knowledge of a 13-year-old girl without her consent.

Mr Bah was arraigned at the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court before Magistrate Mbackeh, charged with two counts of unlawfully having carnal knowledge of an under-aged girl.

Count one indicates that some two months ago, Mr. Bah at Ebo Town in the Kanifing Municipal Council unlawfully had carnal knowledge of a 13-year-old girl (name withheld) without her consent.

Count two indicates that at the same time and place, Mr Bah had carnal knowledge of a girl under the age of 16.

Meanwhile Magistrate Mbackeh ordered that the accused be remanded in custody, summarizing that cases of rape are becoming rampant. He also outlined that it is unlawful for men to force themselves on young girls.

The case continues on 11th September 2008 for full hearing.

The trial of Bai Ousman Secka and Muhammed Batata Juwara continued on Thursday before Magistrate Mboto of the Banjul Magistrates’ Court.

The two former senior officials at the Department of State for Foreign Affairs are being tried on charges of “conspiracy to commit a felony, making false documents, uttering false document and abuse of office.”

Continuing his testimony, PW1, Bai Lamin Bojang, told the court that he last saw Isatou Njie in September 2007 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He informed the court that he was in possesion of the file concerning Isatou Njie, adding that in September 2007 Isatou Njie applied for annual leave by submitting a written leave letter. Mr Bojang added that upon receiving the letter he sought the opinion of the Permanent Secretary, stating that the letter was filed in Isatou Njie’s personal file and that Isatou Njie had applied for the 2007 and 2008 leave.

He said when he saw the letter he raised the issue with the Permanent Secretary, who minuted on the letter that annual leave could only be granted for 2007. Mr. Bojang adduced that after he got the reply from the Permanent Secretary, he conveyed same to the applicant in a letter copied to the Personnel Management Office (PMO).

He further stated that afterwards he submitted the file for delivery through the Private Secretary. He informed the court that Isatou Njie later tendered her resignation letter and the Permanent Secretary asked him to take the necessary action, adding that he expressed his disagreement with that line of action. “I went back to the Permanent Secretary with the file and told him that the letter he had asked me to perform is not in order.

“The Permanent Secretary wrote on the resignation letter and asked me to proceed with the necessary action to convey the resignation letter to the PMO and the Treasury Department, which I did,” he concluded.

An element of the case in question is the allegation that the two former senior Foreign Affairs officials had attempted to process visa for Isatou Njie and Ebou Manneh on the impression that they were supposed to attend the UN General Assembly scheduled for September 2007 in New York, knowing that the information was false.

The case was at length adjourned to 24th June.

The accused, Muhammed Singhateh, was on Tuesday arraigned before Justice Yemoa of the Banjul High Court. Mr Singhateh was alleged to have caused the death of one Momodou Saidybah on 13thDecember 2005 by beating.

He denied the allegation before being returned to his detention centre at the remand wing of Mile 2 prison.

The case was thereafter adjourned to 8thMay 2008.