Mr Landing Jatta who was arrested for allegedly setting fire on the Bunuborr Forest Park, has been charged.

He was last Wednesday arraigned at the Banjul Magistrates’ Court presided over by Magistrate Edrissa Mbai charged with three counts of setting fire to a forest park, malicious damage to property, and possessing firearms without authority.

On Count I, it was revealed that the accused on or about 15th March 2009, between Kanilai and Bunuborr village in the Foni Kansala district, without taking due precautions, set fire to a 7-kilometer forest park and thereby committed an offence.

On Count II, it is alleged offence states that the accused on or about 15th March 2009 at Bunuborr village in the Foni Kansala district, willfully and unlawfully damaged the fence of the Bunuborr Forest Park and thereby committed an offence.

On Count III, it is alleged that that the accused on the same day and place, between Kanilai and Bunuborr village in the Foni Kansala district, was found in possession with a single barrel gun and two rounds of cartridges without authority and thereby committed an offence.

The accused denied counts one and two respectively, but pleaded guilty to count three.

At that juncture the presiding Magistrate, Edrissa Mbai, ordered the case to be transferred to Brikama Magistrates’ Court, arguing that his court lacked the jurisdiction to try the accused as the offence was allegedly committed within the Brikama jurisdiction.

Meanwhile he ordered the accused to be remanded in custody pending the transfer of the case to the Brikama jurisdiction.