Mr Willy Joof, former Permanent Secretary at the Department of State for Foreign Affairs who previously served in The Gambia’s diplomatic service in the republic of France, on Tuesday denied the eight-count charge preferred against him by the state.

Mr Joof appeared before Magistrate Kayoidy of the Banjul Magistrates court in response to the eight counts including official corruption, obtaining goods by false pretence, stealing, conspiracy and abuse of office.

Count 1, which is said to be about official corruption, read that William John Joof on or about 5th June 2002 while employed in the public service of The Gambia as Ambassador to France, corruptly received the sum of 15,000 euro from one Gerrad Nuss in order to appoint him into the consular service of The Gambia and thereby committed an offence.

Count 2 is obtaining good by false pretence and the offence read that in diverse places between March and August 2002 while employed in the public service of The Gambia as Ambassador to France, the accused obtained the sum of 160,000 CFA from one Gerrad Nuss as a condition for appointing him into the consular service of The Gambia and thereby committed an offence.

The statement of the offence in count 3, which is about stealing, read that the accused between 2002 and 2005, while employed in the public service of The Gambia as Ambassador to France, received the sum of $15,000 from diverse sources in the name of the delegation of the republic of The Gambia to UNESCO and converted some to his personal use, thereby committing an offence.

In count 4, the accused is charged with conspiracy to commit a felony, while counts 5 to 8 are all about the charge of abuse of office.

The case was at length adjourned to today when the state is expected to call its first witness.