Accused Persons Maintain Their Innocence

The 21 repatriated Gambians from Spain who were charged for using abusive language against the President of the Republic yesterday maintained their earlier plea of innocence on the charges preferred against them before the Kanifing Magistrates Court. The deportees were arraigned before Magistrate Moses Richards on charges of unlawful assembly and using provocative and abusive language against the president of The Gambia.

The accused persons who earlier on pleaded not guilty to the charges said they were still innocent when the case was called yesterday at the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court presided over by Magistrate Richards. Holding brief for the prosecuting officer was Cadet Inspector Keita, who made an application in court for an adjournment on the grounds that the police officer prosecuting the accused persons is out of jurisdiction.

In light of this, the application was granted and the matter is now set for the 5th of September 2007. It could be recalled that the accused persons were alleged to have used abusive language against the president on the 24th of July at Westfield Junction, when the accused were on their way home just from the Police Intervention Unit while the president was unveiling the homeland monument at Westfield.