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Abuko boy in court for assault

Thursday, August 28, 2008

One Omar Saidy has appeared before the Bundung Magistrates Court presided over by Senior Magistrate Kumba Sillah-Camara on charges of assault and causing actual bodily harm.

Omar Saidy, on July 15, at Abuko in Kanifing Municipality, assaulted one Lamin Ceesay by beating him with a bicycle chain which caused him bodily harm.

When the charge sheet was read to him, he pleaded not guilty.The police prosecutor then asked for an adjournment to allow him to bring his witness to the court.

The accused person was granted a court bail in the sum of D20,000 with a Gambia surety. The case was adjourned to September 15 for continuation of the proceedings. Corporal 134 Sambou represented the IGP.

Author: DO

Witness Cross-examined in Human Trafficking Case

Monday, August 25, 2008

After the prosecution witness, Salifu Nyang, had testified against Lamin Jaiteh and Kanjura Jaiteh, who were charged with trafficking in persons and concealment of trafficking in persons, Lawyer Omar Njie cross-examined the witness.

When it was put to the witness that the accused, Lamin Jaiteh, was threatened and was under pressure when the witness was recording his cautionary statement, the witness denied it.

He also denied that he promised Lamin Jaiteh any favour and did not tell the accused that he was at the police station and the accused should abide by whatever the police told him.

Still testifying in cross-examination, the witness told the court that the counsel for the accused was not present when he recorded the cautionary statement of the accused.

Asked whether he was familiar with one Camara, who was present in court, he said he could not remember and further stated that no police officer recorded the statements from Lamin Jaiteh other than himself.

He revealed that although the accused is literate, the accused asked him to write his statement for him.

It was put to him that he was not truthful, but he denied it. He maintained that it was the accused, who chose him to write his statement for him. He confirmed that the accused surrendered himself to the police and was arrested. He also confirmed that the accused was not granted police bail but denied that he told the accused that it was not necessary for his lawyer to be present when he was recording his voluntary and cautionary statements.

Magistrate Buba Jawo at this juncture adjourned the case until 28th August 2008 for continuation of cross-examination.

Author: By Dawda Faye

Startling revelation in court

Monday, August 25, 2008

Mariama Janneh, the third prosecution witness in the ongoing criminal case involving one Omar Simaga, a ‘Marabout’, who was charged for obtaining money by false pretence, on Tuesday, gave her evidence-in-chief before Senior Magistrate Kumba Sillah-Camara of the Bundung Magistrates Court.

Mrs Janneh told the court that she and her accomplices, Alagie Njie and Modou Musa Jallow, had gone to the accused person and explained their problem to him, who had promised to solve their problem.

According to her, she had a friend by the name Samuel Hesekoi Bevons, who had told her that he had a ‘devil’ wife whom he wanted to appear face-to-face, instead of appearing to him spiritually.

She said the accused promised to enter ‘Kalouwa’ (a spiritual seclusion that lasts for seven days) at the end of which the ‘devil’ wife would be expected to appear before Mr Bevons face-to-face, rather than in dream.

She added that the accused, before starting the process, had told them that they should pay US$20,000, of which US$5,000 was supposed to be paid upfront, with the remaining sum of US$15,000 settled at the completion of the work.

According to her, she had accepted to pay that amount just to make sure that the ‘devil’ appears face-to-face to her friend, as requested by the latter.

Mrs Janneh further revealed that the accused then entered the ‘Kalouwa’ at the end of which he instructed her to give out some charity. She said that she later started paying the accused by instalments, noting that an amount of D77,000, excluding the US$5,000 deposit, was eventually paid to the accused.

She said that the accused later cautioned her that paying the money by instalments was not the solution to the problem, urging them to pay it as agreed.
PW 3 further told the court that they then paid the accused D135,000, excluding the D77,000 and the initial deposit of US$5,000.

Mrs Janneh further said that when the accused received the said amount of money, he promised to enter ‘Kalouwa’ for the second time, which he failed to do, given excuses on a number of occasions.

Two months later, she went on, the accused promised them that he was going to enter the ‘Kalouwa’ on the first day of Ramadan, and he told them that before he would enter, they must provide him with the following: three bags of rice, three bags of sugar, three tins of tomato paste and three tins of Vega milk, plus a mobile phone.

She said the Marabout demanded three of each of the items he requested because he had three wives. According to her, they provided all the requested materials, and that the accused later told them that he was going to enter for another time, saying that if they were not satisfied with the job he would refund them.

At that juncture, the presiding magistrate adjourned the case to August 26, for cross-examination.

Inspector Saine represented the IGP during the trial.

Author: by Yunus S Saliu & Musa Ndow

We have a visionary leader

Monday, August 11, 2008

Editor,

Please allow me space in your widely read newspaper to express my views on the move towards food self-sufficiency in The Gambia.

I think you will all bear witness that since the Gambian leader initiated the ‘back to the land call’, a good number of Gambians have taken it up as a move in the right direction.

During my visit to the interior parts of the country this year, I have seen many changes and improvement in the farming sector leading me to believe that in a few years to come, rice importation will be a thing of the past.

Mr Editor, you can bear witness that President Jammeh’s ‘back to the land call’ has yielded benefits and has continued to contribute to the development of agriculture in The Gambia. This has spurred so many Gambians to venture into farming.

In Kerewan, North Bank Region and other regions in the country, I saw people travelling back to their homes to work on the farms. This is a signal that the attainment of food self-sufficiency is a realistic dream and Gambians can also do it.

I met a group of people in Janjangbureh working on a five hectare land said to have been allocated to President Jammeh. This is also another boost to the president’s efforts towards the achievement of food self-sufficiency come 2015.

Karamo Ceesay

Farafenni

Author: DO

Ex-Superintendent Manlafi Sanyang Paid my salary - DW2 Tells Court

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Mr. Malang Dampha, the second defence witness in the ongoing trial of ex-Superintendent Manlafi Sanyang, on Monday told Banjul Magistrates’ Court that the accused used to pay his salaries. Testifying as defence witness, Malang Dampha told the court that he was employed by the accused as a driver and that the accused was the one who paid his salaries. He told the court that he got to know the accused during the presidential election campaign of 2001, adding that when he learned that new vehicles had been procured for the campaign, he approached the accused to solicit his consideration for the position of a driver, adding that the accused employed him there and then.

He went on to state:“ We collected the vehicles from TK Motors to Gamwater premises where the accused brought APRC flags and mounted them on the vehicles.

Further testifying, Defence Witness 2 told the court that he drove the vehicle registered BJL 4591B, noting that the vehicles were brand new vehicles.“ We took the vehicles to the provinces for testing and during the testing exercise, the vehicle I drove, BJL 4591B, was involved in an accident at Kiang and this was in 2001,” he added. He said the vehicle was thereafter towed from Kiang and parked on Gamwater in Kanifing, adducing that that was the last time he saw the vehicle.

Hearing continues today.

Source: Picture: Manlafi Sanyang

Panic in Katchikaly

Friday, July 25, 2008

The residents of Bakau Kachikally were Wednesday night threatened by a crocodile that was reported to have emanated from a gutter connected to the Kachikally crocodile pool.

Reliable sources informed the Daily Observer that this crocodile is among many, which come out on daily basis more especially during rainy nights to try to attack people who pass by the gutters around the area.

Eye witness further stated that on Wednesday night, one crocodile attacked and killed two sheep belonging to one Mustapha Dampha. Others added that the crocodiles do enter their compounds and hide under their beds.

Sources stated that the crocodile which came out last Wednesday and threatened people, was discovered when the gutters were blocked and water was not able to pass when it was raining. “The water was blocked and could not pass because the crocodile was inside the gutter. So the residents of Kachikally had been complaining since the last rainy night on Monday. We then decided to dig the gutters around that area for the water to pass through ‘Farokonoo’ street and the crocodile was discovered,” a source revealed.

According to Dodou Bojang, manager of Kachikally crocodile, the gutter dug was connected to the Kachikally crocodile pool. “We told the people not to dig the gutters that were connected to the pool but they insisted and went up to meet the Mayor of KMC. The Mayor gave them the go-ahead to dig the gutter and that was the gutter which the crocodiles travel through,” he concluded.

Author: by Omar Wally

In Dodou Janneh’s case More witnesses to testify

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Senior Magistrate Kumbah Sillah-Camara of the Bundung Magistrates’ Court granted an appeal made by the accused’s counsel, Mr Lamin Camara, in the ongoing Doudou Janneh murder case, on Monday, to allow him to call one more witness to testify and submit a document that he called relevant and "very important" to the case in the court.

The defense counsel for the accused who was formerly set to address the court over the case sometime back said for the interest of justice, he would like to call a reporter from one of the daily newspapers in The Gambia who reported on the incident when it occurred last year to submit the original copy of the newspaper in the court during the next session of the case.

Inspector Saine, the prosecution officer who represented the IGP on this case, raised an objection over the counsel’s application but the presiding magistrate overruled his objection. The case was then adjourned to 29 July 2008 for continuation.

Author: by Yunus S. Saliu

Two remanded for human trafficking

Friday, June 27, 2008

One Lamin Jaiteh and Kunjara Jaiteh, were on Wednesday, remanded at the Remand Wing of the State Central Prison, by Principal Magistrate Buba Jawo of the Kanifing Magistrates Court, after they had pleaded not guilty to the charges of trafficking and concealment of trafficking, which are punishable under The Gambia’s laws.

According to the prosecution, the duo, on 8th June 2008, at Bakau Beach, engaged in trafficking by recruiting Lamin Manjang and 61 others, purposely for exploitation within or outside the country.

On count two, the duo, on the same day in Bakau, failed to inform the police or relevant authorities, after receiving information concerning those being trafficked.

Police Prosecutor ASP Touray, applied for a fortnight’s adjournment to enable him to call his witness. However, ASP Touray strongly opposed the bail application by the defence counsel Omar Njie, arguing that the accused has been charged with serious offences, which carry severe punishment, including life imprisonment.

“Internationally, there is a fight against this menace and all countries are implementing means to tackle the scourge,” he said.

In response, Defence Counsel Njie, retorted that the alleged crimes are bailable offences. He told the court that only murder and treason are not bailable offences.

In his ruling, Principal Magistrate Jawo said the court has realised that count one deals with a serious offence, which bears the punishment of life imprisonment.

“The Act made it categorically clear that the charge the accused face has a punishment for life. The application for bail is hereby refused,” he ruled, and ordered the accused persons to be remanded in custody.

Author: by Sheriff Janko

Defence to withdraw in car theft trial?

Friday, May 30, 2008

Lamin Camara, the defence counsel for Supt Manlafi Sanyang, the former government vehicle controller, has applied for an adjournment in order to decide whether he should proceed with the case or not.

Defence counsel Camara made these application in the middle of the trial, when DPP Emmanuel Fagbenle called his third witness, Bakary Bojang, a police investigator attached to the Serious Crimes Unit of the Gambia Police Force, who told the court that he knew the accused.

Bojang informed the court that when the matter was first reported to him, he went with his colleagues to the Licensing Department at the Police Headquarters, where he questioned the commanding officer ASP Fabureh about the particulars of the said vehicle. He added that ASP Fabureh told him that the vehicle in question belongs to the Immigration Department.

At that juncture, DPP Fagbenle asked whether he had checked through the records. Bojang answered in the positive, adding that the records confirmed that the vehicle belongs to the Immigration Department.

Bojang further informed the court he went to the NIA office, after gathering the information. He said he found the accused and confronted him on the particulars of the vehicle in question, but the accused confessed that he knew about the said vehicle.

Bojang said he further asked the accused about the vehicle, Supt Sanyang said he sold it to one Alhagie Conteh, the first prosecution witness. He said Mr Conteh, when contacted, confirmed that the accused sold the vehicle to him at D75,000.

At that juncture, the defence counsel Camara raised objection on the basis that the evidence Bojang was giving is “hearsay” insofar as the evidence is meant to prove the veracity of the vehicle in question. He consequently applied for adjournment in order to advise himself and ponder on whether to proceed with the case.

But DPP Fagbenle rejected the application on the basis that the defence did not give any reason for his decision to withdraw in the middle of trial. Camara responded that a counsel has the right to withdraw from any case, because the service rendered is to the accused and not to the state, arguing that blocking this would tantamount to “forced labour and we are not in that generation”.

Author: by Ebrima Jatta & Sanna Jawara

Willy Joof case deferred

Friday, May 30, 2008

Senior magistrate Kayode Olajubutu of the Banjul Magistrates Court Wednesday adjourned the criminal case involving William John Joof to June 26 due to the indisposition of Burama Dibba, the former crime management coordinator of the Gambia Police Force. Burama Dibba supposed to appear as a prosecution witness in the trial.

Emmanuel Fagbenle, the director of Public Prosecution, filed the application for adjournment. Defence counsel Lamin Camara raised no objection to the application and the presiding Senior Magistrate Olajubutu granted the application and adjourned the proceedings accordingly.

Author: by Ebrima Jatta