One Charles Lawson was, on Tuesday, arraigned before Senior Magistrate Kumba Sillah-Camara of the Bundung Magistrates Court charged with forging banknotes, which were found in his possession, contrary to Section 334 of the Criminal Code, Laws of The Gambia.

According to the particulars of the offence, Charles Lawson, on 5th June, 2007, in Bundung, was found in possession of 1,520,000 CFA Francs in ten thousand note denomination and D18,300 in one hundred Dalasi denomination, which were forged bank notes.

When the charge sheet was read to him, the accused pleaded not guilty.
In his evidence-in-chief, Corporal Ebrima Musa, a soldier at the Fajara Barracks, said on 5th June, 2007, he received an information from one Hamadi Darboe that one Charles Lawson had fake currencies.
Mr Musa added that he gave one Modou Jeng D5,500 to give to the suspect as part of a plan to trap him.

Corporal Musa told the court that Charles was found with the said fake banknotes and Modou Jeng and Charles Lawson were both arrested later on.
According to Musa, further investigation and a thorough search of Charles’s house was conducted. During the search, according to Mr Musa, the forged notes were found. A printer, A4-sized papers, some bottles of ink, printer cartridges, and an ID card belonging to one Oluseye Oladimeji were found in his house. The suspect was later taken to the Police Fraud Squad in Banjul.

Charles Lawson, however, refuted the statement that the items were found in his house. Senior Magistrate Sillah-Camara overruled his objection and admitted the items as exhibits.
The case was adjourned to September 2 for the second prosecution witness to testify.