In the ongoing trial of Dr Badara Loum and Suruwa Jaiteh, former Permanent Secretaries at the Department of State for Agriculture, the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Emmanuel Fagbenle, recently informed the High Court presided over by Justice Yemoa that they had received information that part of the money the accused stood charged for misappropriating has been recovered. He reassured that the prosecution would thenceforth liaise with the investigators to ascertain the amount recovered. He therefore applied for the matter to be adjourned until such time as the amount is recovered.

The defence counsel, Lawyer Lamin Camara, objected to he DPP’s application for the case to be adjourned sine die on the grounds that as a criminal matter, it could not be left hanging on the accused persons. He argued that the prosecution should give the court a definite time as to when they would communicate to the court on their findings of the amount recovered and the balance left. The defence counsel’s objection was upheld by the court and the case was adjourned to 3rd March 2008.

It could be recalled that the two accused persons, Dr Badara Loum and Suruwa Jaiteh, were charged with wilfully or by omission or recklessly causing monetary loss to a public body contrary to section 5 (a) of the Economic Crimes Decree 1994 and punishable under section 6 of the same.

According to the particulars of offence, the accused persons 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 of 47,775 metric tons of NPK and 2,229 metric tons of urea fertilizer valued at D51, 480,100, wilfully or by omission or recklessness handled some and thereby caused loss to the government of the Gambia to the tune of D6, 340,845.