Lamin George, senior magistrate at the Banjul Magistrates Court, yesterday discharged Bai Ousman Secka, the former permanent secretary at the Department of State for Foreign Affairs and Mohammed Batata Juwara, former protocol officer at the Department of Foreign Affairs.

The senior magistrate’s decision followed an application of a nolle prosequit by the attorney general (AG) and secretary of state for Justice. The nolle prosequit application was made in pursuant of Section 85 of the 1997 constitution, Section 64 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) Cap 12 volume 3  as amended by the Criminal Procedure Code CPC amendment No. 2, 1995, Decree No. 50 and Section 2 of the Law Officers Act, Cap 720 Volume 2, laws of The Gambia, 1990.
 
Dr Henry Carrol, solicitor general and legal secretary at the Department of State for Justice signed the rolle prosequit application on behalf of the SoS for Justice.
The two accused persons, Bai Ousman Secka and Mohammed Batata Juwara, were facing trial for abuse of office, making and uttering false documents, and conspiring to commit felony.