The trial of two former Permanent Secretaries of the Department of State for Agriculture, Dr. Badara Loum and Suruwa Jaiteh, resumed on Wednesday at the Banjul High Court. However the case, which was scheduled for mention before Justice Yemoa of the Banjul High Court, could not proceed as she was said to be out of the country.

It could be recalled that the two former Permanent Secretaries were charged with willfully or by omission or recklessly causing monetary loss to a public body contrary to section 5 (a) of the Economic Crimes Decree 1994, Decree No16 and punishable under section 6 of the same.

The particulars of the offence read that Dr. Badara Loum and Suruwa Jaiteh as Permanent Secretaries of the Department of State for Agriculture, between the months of April 2005 and December 2006, being the accounting officers thereof and entrusted with the responsibility of distributing and selling 47, 775 metric tonnes of NPK and 2, 229 metric tonnes of Urea fertilizer, valued at D51, 480, 100 willfully or by omission or recklessly handled same and thereby caused loss to the government of the Gambia to the tune of D6, 340, 845.

The two suspects have since then denied the allegation preferred against them by the authority.