Counsel talks about client's absence

Defence lawyer LS Camara yesterday told the Banjul Magistrates' Court that since his client, one Jankeh Samateh, was arraigned and subsequently remanded in custody, she has not been brought to court.

When the case was called before Magistrate Hilary U. Abeke, counsel told the court that the case was supposed to resume for hearing, but the accused person was not in court.

He was surprised, he added, that the accused person was not in court as expected, and that no reason was being given by the state prosecutors as to why the accused person was not in court.

Counsel further told the court that on both 18th and 25th August 2010 his client was not in court, adding that Jankeh Samateh is languishing in remand custody without being brought to court, and that her constitutional right has been violated.

He, therefore, urged the court to order his client's appearance in court at all times when the case set for hearing.

Magistrate Abeke in his ruling stated that since the state and the accused persons were both absent from court without any notice to the court, the court has no option but to adjourned the case.

He consequently ordered a hearing notice to be sent to the state for the appearance of the accused person in court at all times to enable the case to proceed.

The case was subsequently adjourned to 8th September 2010 for hearing.

Readers would recall that Ms Jankeh Samateh was sometime in August 2010 alleged to have aided Sillaba Samateh, the first prosecution witness in the criminal trial of Ex-IGP Ensa Badjie, to escape from justice by bailing him from the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), and facilitated his escape to Holland.