Magistrate Sagarr Cecilia Jahateh has warned that she would dismiss the case against the former Co-ordinator of Africa Emergency Locust Project, Mr. Ebrima Secka, if the prosecution fails to appear in court at the next sitting scheduled for January 14th 2008.

Magistrate Jahateh’s ruling was sparked by the revelation that the state counsel was indisposed. Elucidating that several adjournments had taken place at the insistence of the prosecution, she ruled that she would not hesitate to discharge the accused person if another cause for adjournment should occur on the prosecution’s account again. She noted that as the accused is charged with a serious offence, the prosecution is under an obligation to prosecute the offences in an expeditious manner as provided for in the constitution.

Reacting to the information the defence counsel, A. Sissoho, reportedly gave the court, the state prosecutor, A.S. Omar, appealed for a rethink of the ruling. However the court ruled that it has received no formal notification of any application.

Magistrate Jahateh insisted that she would not hesitate to dismiss the case if there is a repeat of such lack of diligence on the part of the prosecution.

Mr. Secka, the former Coordinator of Africa Emergency Locust Project, have had to report to NIA before he was arraigned on the 6th of December 2007 for alleged offences of economic crimes and theft from the said Africa Emergency Locust Project.