Cherno O. Bah, a senior court interpreter at the Banjul Magistrates' Court was yesterday remanded in custody by Magistrate Hilary U Abeke for allegedly tampering with court's exhibits.
He was remanded for a month, pending the outcome of investigations.
According to the trial magistrate, sometime last week the court clerk, Fatou Njie, alias Fari, was assigned to look for a file at the court's archive, when Cherno came and pretended to be helping the clerk to look for the file.
During the process of looking for the file, Cherno allegedly stole one bundle of the prohibited drug, called cannabis sativa.
The court clerk, the magistrate added, saw Cherno putting something in his pocket, and asked what he was putting into his pocket. Cherno in reply, said he did not take anything.
It was then that the clerk threatened to report him to the Assistant Registrar, Malang Badjie.
Cherno was later confronted, and confessed to entering the archive, but denied taken anything in the archive.
Cherno should be remanded in custody for one month, pending the outcome of the investigation, the magistrate ruled.
He also ordered that Cherno's residence be thoroughly searched, and that even those close to him should be investigated.
The trial magistrate then ordered the NDEA officers to put Cherno in handcuffs.
Cherno pleaded with the court that he is under doctor's supervision, and that detaining him may not be good for his health.
He was subsequently whisked away by the NDEA officers.
