Three Men Arraigned for Abduction

Friday, November 14, 2008
Sheriff Jallow, Gibril Jallow and Banna Joina were on the 13thNovember 2008 arraigned before Senior Magistrate Sainabou Wadda-Ceesay of the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court for abduction, a charge they all denied.

According to the charge sheet, the accused persons on or about the 6thNovember 2008 at Kanifing, with intent, secretly and wrongfully confined and abducted one Ismaila Demba.

Prosecutor ASP Touray applied to the court not to grant bail to the accused persons in the sense that investigations were ongoing.

Lawyer Tambedou, who was representing the accused persons, stood up to say that the offences the accused persons were charged with are offences which are bailable and urged the court to grant the accused person’s bail.

Lawyer Darboe told the court that he was holding brief for Lawyer Badou Conteh, who is also the counsel for the third accused. He stated that even though the investigations are incomplete, this should not prevent the court from granting the accused persons bail.

He further indicated that the accused persons are innocent until they are proven guilty. He urged the court to grant the accused persons bail.

Subsequently, Magistrate Wassa-Ceesay granted the applications made by the defense counsels and granted the accused persons bail in the sum of D100, 000 each with a Gambian surety.

But a drama ensued out of the courtroom where all the accused persons were whisked away in a car and driven by the police, according to court sources.

Author: Dawda Faye