Magistrate Sagarr Jahateh of the Kanifing Magistrate court  warned that she will discharge  Ebrima Secka, former coodinator of the Africa Emergency Locust Project (AELP),who is standing trial on eleven counts of economic crime and theft, if the state prosecutor, lawyer A S Umar, failed to appear in court on January 14, 2008.

Magistrate Jahateh made this ruling  on Tuesday ,when the defense counsel Abdoulie Sisoho informed the court that A S Umar  told him ( Abdoulie Sisoho ) that he had asked for a stay of proceedings, for fact that  he (  A S Umar ) intends to appeal against a ruling delivered by the court on certain  documents tendered earlier on in court.

She added that as far as the court is concerned, her court is not aware of any appeal and she has not been notified  nor has she received any application from  A S Umar to stay the proceeding in the court. Magistrate Jahateh ruled that the case has suffered several adjournments at the instance of the prosecution, adding that the accused is charged with  serious offenses.

“ The prosecution must be seen to prosecute such cases  in a diligent and expeditious manner. If the prosecutor does not appear on the  14 the  January, I will discharge the accused” she  ruled.