The High Court in Brikama yesterday acquitted the suspended Mayor of Banjul, Mr. Pa Sallah Jeng, of all the charges preferred against him by the state.

In delivering her judgement, Justice Sanji Monageng, the presiding judge, stated that after going through the evidence before the courts concerning the charges against Mr. Jeng, she found out that the prosecution has failed to prove their case beyond reasonable doubt. She consequently acquitted the acussed who has been standing trial on six criminal count charges.

It would be recalled that count one of the charge stated that Pa Sallah Jeng as Lord Mayor of Banjul on or about 19th August 2005 corruptly or dishonestly abused his office by directing the council’s Chief Executive Officer to pay the sum of D10, 000.00 to EAP  Printing Press for printing 1000 copies of his booklets entitled “In My Time”  for his private benefit.

Count two of the charges stated that Mr. Jeng, being a public officer at the Banjul City Council between 2002 and 2005, illegally or dishonestly received per diem payments at the rate of 130 Pound Sterlings per day and above the official allowance of 100 pounds per day and thereby caused financial loss to Banjul City Council.

Count three stated that Pa Sallah Jeng as Mayor of Banjul City Council between the months of January and February 2005, in breach of section 45 of the Gambia Public Procurement Act and section 12 of the Gambia public procurement regulations, intentionally singly sourced and directed the purchase of a second-hand towing ambulance for a sum of D340,000 to the detriment of the economy of The Gambia.

The statement of the offence in count four indicated that Pa Sallah Jeng as Mayor of BCC between the months of September and November 2003 “intentionally single sourced and directed the purchase of three comparators for the sum of D1,500, 000 in violation of section 45 of the Gambia Public Procurement Act and section 12 of the Gambia Public Procurement Regulations to the detriment of the economy of The Gambia.

In Count five, the particulars of the offence read that Pa Sallah Jeng as Mayor of BCC between the month of October and December 2004, in abuse of the authority of his office personally single sourced and forcefully directed the Banjul City Council to pay the sum of D50, 000 for a second- hand 25 KVA Generator already installed at BCC premises without the required approval.

The particulars of offence for count six read that Pa Sallah Jeng as Mayor of BCC on or about the 29th September 2004 in the city of Banjul, in abuse of his office, entered into a lease hold agreement with one Papa Faal for a period of 20 years without the consent of the Secretary of State for Local Government and Lands, thus contravening section 84(2) of the Local Government Act 2002 and thereby caused financial loss to the Banjul City Council.