The
absence of the lead prosecutor in the case involving Ebrima B. Njie and Edrisa
Manga, prison officers, Tuesday delayed their trial.
Ebrima
B. Njie and Edrisa Manga were charged with aiding Abdoulie Ceesay, former
Managing Director of Tarango FM Radio, to escape from custody.
They
did not accept any responsibility.
When
the case was called, the clerk of the court informed the court that the
prosecutor had called him and told him he could not make it, and that he was
writing a letter regarding the case.
Patrick
Gomez, the defence counsel, rose and told the court he was not informed why the
prosecutor was absent.
He
argued that the prosecutor should have been in court to explain the reason for
his absence, adding that they did not know the content of the letter.
He
stated further that this was not the first time the prosecutor had excused
himself from the court.
He
urged the court to waive the right of the prosecutor to cross-examine Ebrima B.
Njie in the voire dire.
Magistrate
Janneh-Njie of the Banjul Magistrates’ Court ruled that the prosecutor was
absent and did not inform the court the reason for his absence, although he
called the clerk to say they could not make it.
She
added that the court would waive their right to cross-examine Ebrima Njie on
the voire dire, since the prosecutor failed to appear in court at the last
sitting.
She
discharged Ebrima B. Njie on the voire dire, and adjourned the case until 6
March 2017, for the main trial.
