Lamin R Darboe, former UDP Kombo East candidate in the 2006 National Assembly elections and a native of Pirang Village, was nowhere to be found, after he was granted bail by Magistrate EF M’Bai of the Brikama Magistrates’ Court. This revelation was made at the court yesterday.

Meanwhile, the surety, Mr Pa Camara, was arrested and paraded before the court.

According to Magistrate M’bai, the accused was sued for obtaining 11,000 Pound Sterling by false pretence. Magistrate M’bai informed the court that the accused and his Defence Counsel, Lawyer Lamin K Mboge have not attended four consecutive sittings.

At the court, Pa Camara revealed that he came to know the accused through his Defence Counsel, Lamin K Mboge. He said he last saw the accused since the day he was granted bail.

According to him, he met Lawyer Mboge and the brother of the accused at the residence of the former UDP’s candidate at Farato village. He recalled that Mboge informed him that his client was fatally ill and that he wanted him to kindly bail him. After several appeals, he said, “I went to the court to bail the accused person”. He said he agreed with Mboge that the accused shall be under custody till the end of the trial.

According to Mr Camara, on the first sitting of the trial, he was told by Lawyer Mboge that all the cases for that day were adjourned, because the Presiding Magistrate was attending a workshop. On the second sitting, he continued, “Mboge told me that I should take the accused to the hospital for a medical attention. On the third sitting, Mboge again asked me to return to the hospital with the accused for a laboratory test. Then, I went out to get some food and drinks, but upon my return, the accused was nowhere to be seen. I searched in and out of the hospital, but I could not see him”.

He said the matter was subsequently reported to Yundum Police Station and the Brikama Police Station. He told the court that he was later arrested, because the accused was nowhere to be found. He urged the court to grant him a reasonable time to continue his search for the accused.

At the court, Lawyer Mboge confirmed the veracity of the testimony of the surety. He also urged the court to grant him a reasonable time to search for Lamin R Darboe.

Subsequently, Magistrate M’bai granted one week extension for both the surety, Pa Camara and the Defence Counsel Mboge to produce the accused.

Meanwhile, the court gave a conditional bail grant of a lease property of D1 million for the surety.