Gambia Ports Authority Clearing Agent Arraigned

One Solomon John, a clearing agent of the Gambia Ports Authority (GPA, was yesterday arraigned before Senior Magistrate Abdoulie Mbackeh of the Kanifing Magistrates' Court on a charge of obtaining money by false pretence.

He denied the charge.

According to the charge sheet, the accused Solomon John between January and February 2008, as a clearing agent of the GPA, received the sum of D32, 000 to buy a car at the GPA for one Seedy Touray, knowing that such representation was false.

Prosecutor 870 Touray applied to the court not to grant the accused person bail because he would commit the same crime and that the accused person has another case pending.

But Magistrate Mbackeh told the court that the offence with which the accused was charged was a bail-able one. He therefore granted the accused person bail with the sum of D35, 000 or the provision of a Gambian surety with a landed property, the title deed of which should be deposited with the Assistant Registrar of the court.