Five Prison Officers Charged, Four Remanded

FOROYAA Newspaper (Serrekunda)

Mamadou Dem

3 June 2011

Four Prison officers namely, Abdoulie Bojang, Solo Manga, Buba Badjie, Bakary Jammeh were on Wednesday arraigned before acting Principal Magistrate Alagbe Taiwo Ade of the Banjul Magistrates’ court. The first accused person, Abdoulie Bojang, is facing three counts of criminal offence, while Solo Manga (second accused), Buba Badjie (third accused) and Bakary Jammeh (fourth accused) respectively are charged with one count of criminal offence each.

The fifth accused Prison officer, Saikou Kujabi was not present in court but is charged with two counts of criminal offence.

The four who appeared in court were subsequently remanded.

Below are the full charges of the aforesaid persons

COUNT ONE

STATEMENT OF OFFENCE

Destroying evidence contrary to Section 101 of the Criminal Code Cap 10 Vol. III, Laws of The Gambia 2009.

PARTICULARS OF OFFENCE

Abdoulie Bojang sometime in 2011 at State Central prison Mile II Banjul knowing that a Samsung mobile phone and a sim card recovered from Mile II Central Prison may be required in evidence in a judicial proceeding, willfully removed the sim card from the said phone with intent thereby to prevent it from being used in evidence and thereby committed an offence.

COUNT TWO

STATEMENT OF OFFENCE

Introduction or removal of prohibited articles into and from prison and for unauthorised communication with prisoners contrary to section 84 (1) of the Prisons Act.

PARTICULARS OF OFFENCE

Abdoulie Bojang sometime in the year 2011 at state central Prison Mile II you introduced into the said prison prohibited article to wit: you gave Nokia mobile telephone to Batch Samba Faye, a prisoner to use and thereby committed an offence.

COUNT THREE

STATEMENT OF OFFENCE

Introduction or removal of prohibited articles into and from prison and for unauthorised communication with prisoners contrary to Section 84 (1) of the Prisons Act.

PARTICULARS OF OFFENCE

That you Abdoulie Bojang sometime in the year 2011 at state central Prison Mile II Banjul introduced a prohibited article into the said prison to wit: you gave a mobile telephone to Lang Tombong Tamba, a prisoner to use and thereby committed an offence.

COUNT FOUR

STATEMENT OF OFFENCE

Introduction or removal of prohibited articles into and from prison and for unauthorised communication with prisoners contrary to section 84 (1) of the Prisons Act.

PARTICULARS OF OFFENCE

Solo Manga sometime in the year 2011 at state central Prison Mile II you introduced into the said prison prohibited articles to wit: Qcell Mobile phone, Nokia E5 1 Mobile phone and Samsung mobile phone and thereby committed an offence.

COUNT FIVE

STATEMENT OF OFFENCE

Introduction or removal of prohibited articles into and from prison and for unauthorised communication with prisoners contrary to section 84 (1) of the Prisons Act.

PARTICULARS OF OFFENCE

That you Buba Badjie sometime in the year 2011 at state central Prison Mile II Banjul introduced a prohibited article into the said prison to wit: you gave a mobile telephone to Abou Jah (prisoner) to give to Alieu Bah (prisoner) to use and thereby committed an offence.

COUNT SIX

STATEMENT OF OFFENCE

Official corruption contrary to section 86 (a) of the Criminal Code cap 10 Volume 3 Revised Laws of the Gambia 2009.

PARTICULARS OF OFFENCE

That you Bakary Jammeh sometime in the year 2009 at Banjul and other places in the Gambia being employed as prison officer in the Gambia prison service corruptly received D100 from Ousman Ndow on account of showing favour to Alieu Bah, a prisoner under your care and thereby committed an offence.

COUNT SEVEN

STATEMENT OF OFFENCE

Aiding contrary to section 23 of the criminal code cap 10 Volume 3 Revised Laws of the Gambia 2009 read together with Section 62 (VI) of the Prison Act cap 20 Volume 4 Revised Laws of the Gambia 2009.

PARTICULARS OF OFFENCE

That you Saidou Kujabi between the year 2008 and May 2011 at Banjul and other places in the Gambia aided Alieu Bah, a prisoner at the State Central Prison Mile II to hold communication with Mariama Jabang of Tujereng by providing telephone number 7791699 of Mariama Jabang to the said Alieu Bah to use and thereby committed an offence.

COUNT EIGHT

STATEMENT OF OFFENCE

Conspiracy to commit misdemeanor contrary to section 369 of the criminal code cap 10 Volume 3 Revised Laws of the Gambia.

PARTICULARS OF OFFENCE

That you Saidou Kujabi between the year 2008 and May 2011 at Banjul conspired with Alieu Bah, a Prisoner at the State Central Prison Mile II to hold communication with Mariama Jabang of Tujereng and thereby committed an offence.

The four accused persons had pleaded not guilty as charge Saidou Kujabi is yet to take his plea as he was not present in court and the four accused persons were not represented by a counsel.

After the plea of not guilty by the four accused persons, the Director of Public Prosecution Mikailou Abdullah applied for an adjournment and urged the court to remand the accused persons in prison custody as investigation in this matter is yet to be completed. He said other charges are likely to be brought before the accused persons; arguing that most of their witnesses are Prison officers and that if the accused persons are released on bail they are likely to interfere with the witnesses. He therefore urged the court to remand the accused persons in Prison custody pending the investigation of the matter.

The application was granted by the trial Magistrate and the matter was adjourned to the 8th of June for hearing.

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