Former CMC, others false information case dropped

The criminal case of giving false information to a public officer brought against the former Crime Management Coordinator of the Gambia Police Force, Pa Habibu Mbye and two others namely, Idrish Masade and Charles Bonitace Okeke, both Nigerian nationals, has been dropped.

When the case was yesterday called before Principal Magistrate Emmanuel Nkea, at the Banjul Magistrates' Court, the prosecuting officer Chief Superintendent Tijan Badjie told the court that the prosecution had received a directive from the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), to withdraw the charges against the accused persons.

The application was granted and subsequently, the accused persons were discharged of all charges.

It would be recalled that the accused persons were standing trial for the alleged offence on a five-count charge, which ranged from conspiracy to giving false information to a public servant.

It would be recalled that, according to the particulars of offence, on count one, Pa Habibu Mbye, Idrish Masade and Charles Bonitace Okeke, sometime in the year 2009, in Banjul, jointly conspired to give false information to the Minister of Fisheries and Water Resources, Mr. Antouman Saho, that one Sillaba Samateh was selling cocaine in The Gambia with the help of security officers, and using the name of the President of the republic.

Count two read that the three accused persons sometime in the year, 2009, jointly gave false information to the Minister of Fisheries and Water Resources Mr. Anthoman Saho, that one Sillaba Samateh was selling drugs in The Gambia using the name of the President of the republic.

Count three stated that the three accused persons sometime in the year 2009, jointly gave false information to the Minister of Fisheries and Water Resources, Mr. Anthoman Saho, that one Sillaba Samateh has in store large quantities of cocaine in Guinea Bissau.

Count four stated that the three accused persons, sometime in the year 2009, gave false information to the Minister of Fisheries and Water Resources, Mr. Anthonman Saho, that senior police and army officers frequently guard Mr. Sillaba Samateh, a drug dealer at his compound in Brusubi, and army bodyguards in uniform guard his compound for gainful reward.

Count five further stated that the three accused persons sometime in the year 2009, gave false information to the Minister of Fisheries and Water Resources, Mr. Antouman Saho, that one Sillaba Samateh had taken money from a Moroccan man staying at the army officer's mess in Kotu for drugs, and one Musa Jawaneh, Yusupha Saidy, and Alhagie Morr intervened to retrieve the money from him.