Mr. Mustapha Leigh, former Director of Technical Service at the Department of State for Works and Construction, and Momodou Lamin Sonko were yesterday arraigned before Principal Magistrate Moses Richards of the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court charged with three counts ranging from conspiracy to commit felony, stealing and abuse of office.

The particulars of offence in count one stated that on or about 2001 at the Department of State for Works in the city of Banjul the accused persons conspired together to commit a felony by stealing.

Count two stated that in the year 2001 at Mansakonko in the Lower River Region the two accused persons stole one bulldozer being the property of the Gambia government.

The last count relating only to the first accused, Mustapha Leigh, stated that the accused, Mustapha Leigh, in the year 2001 being an employee of the Department of State for Works allowed the use of a government caterpillar by one Momodou Lamin Sonko without proper authority as a public servant.

Upon hearing the charges preferred against them both accused persons pleaded not guilty to all the counts.

The police prosecutor, Inspector Bojang, made an application for the court not to grant the accused persons bail on the ground that the investigation is ongoing and there is likelihood that the accused persons may tamper with the investigations if granted bail.

Defense Lawyer Antouman Gaye urged that the reason advanced by the prosecution is not genuine enough to warrant the court’s refusal of bail to his clients. He countered that the accused persons are responsible people in the society and he urged the court to grant them bail.

In ruling on the bail application, Magistrate Moses Richard stated that he was not satisfied with the prosecution’s argument that the accused persons would tamper with police investigation, adding that he was of the view that charges should be preferred when investigations are completed. He said that the accused have right to bail and therefore, granted them bail in the sum of D500,000 each with two sureties each with a title deed.

Mustapha Leigh and Momodou Lamin Sonko were represented by Antouman Gaye and Amie Joof-Conteh respectively.

The case continues on 16th July, 2007.