The state has filed a 10-count-charge against the ex-coordinator of the Africa Emergency Locust Project (AELP), Mr. Ebrima Secka.

Mr. Secka was arraigned on Thursday 6th December 2007 at the Kanifing Magistrates Courts presided over by Magistrate Sagara Jahateh.

The charges ranged from economic crimes and theft, which infringes section 5 (a) of the Economic Crime act and 252 of the CPC.

Mr. Secka is alleged to have made this infringement while serving as a public officer as coordinator of Africa Emergency Locust Project located in Abuko.

Representing the defendant, A.S. Sissoho applied for bail for his client who, he said, was reporting to the NIA weekly while his sister’s title deed was still serving as security. The defence counsel also applied for a stop to the weekly reporting since the matter is before the law courts. He further stated that the accused had served in the civil service for 30 years, sufficient guarantee for the accused to stand as surety for himself.

Reacting to the application made by the defendant, state counsel A.S. Omar countered that the reporting was still ongoing because the investigation was not yet concluded. He elucidated that from the moment the accused was arraigned before the court, court order took precedence over police order, to which this case is not an exception.

State counsel Omar further informed the court that economic crime decree had a specific provision for bail. He invoked section 8 of the economic crime provision, which stated that an accused charged under economic crime had to provide surety, title deed and cash of the actual amount on the charge sheet.

The Presiding Magistrate, Sagara Jahateh, granted the accused bail in the sum of D500, 000 and a surety with a landed property. The court further ordered his title deed with the NIA to be surrendered to the court registrar.

The matter was at length adjourned for hearing on 12th December 2007.