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Ex-NIA Operative Trial in Limbo

Nov 7, 2008, 4:16 AM | Article By: Modou Sanyang

The trial of Bakary Gassama, the former NIA director of finance, is in limbo as the prosecution still cannot proceed with their case.

On resumption of the case on Wednesday, the police prosecutor Sgt 799 Badjie yet applied for an adjournment on the grounds that he was yet to receive the case file from the Attorney General's Chambers where it was sent for legal opinion.

In response, the defence counsel Kebba Sanyang vehemently objected to the prosecution's application for an adjournment. According to counsel Sanyang, this was the first time the prosecution had informed the court that the case file was with the AG's Chambers.

He said on the last adjourned date the prosecution informed the court that they could not proceed with the case due to circumstances beyond their control and applied for short adjournment.

Lawyer Sanyang further argued that the prosecution did not even know where the case-file was if there is any. He said the accused was charged with the offence of abuse of office. He was granted court bail but could not fulfil the bail requirement and as a result he is still remanded in custody. He added that the accused first appeared on 26thSeptember 2008 and since then the case has not proceeded in the instance of the prosecution.

He finally urged the court to refuse the prosecution's application for an adjournment as it lacked merit. He also applied to the court to discharge the accused for want of prosecution.

The case was adjourned to 12thNovember 2008.