Justice
Kumba Sillah-Camara of the High Court in Banjul yesterday said that the court
could not be held to ransom and could not wait for anybody.
Justice
Sillah-Camara was responding to the application made by defence counsel B.
Secka, who held brief for lawyer C.E. Mene, who had travelled out of the
jurisdiction.
The
trial judge said the court adjourned the matter for two weeks at the last
adjourned date at the instance of the defence.
She
pointed out that the hearing of the matter was forestalled, whilst the
application filed by the 1st accused defence counsel C.E. Mene challenging the
representation of the prosecution team was still pending before the court.
The
judge said it was not in the interest of justice for the court to entertain
what she described as an unnecessary delay in criminal trial.
Defence
Counsel B. Secka had told the court that his instruction was to sought for a
short adjournment as the lead counsel was out of the jurisdiction and would be
back soon to continue where he stopped.
In
his submission, lead counsel for the prosecution, A.A.B. Gaye, said the
prosecution team needed to know their fate, noting that their representation
was at stake.
For
his part, Lawyer M.B. Johnson Richards, counsel for the 3rd accused, Saihou
Omar Jeng, told the court that even though they are not part of those opposing
the representation of the prosecution team but that steps are being taken
concerning the matter.
Lawyer
E. A. Gomez, counsel for the 2nd accused, Richard Leese Loiuse Gomez, submitted
that the case was a high profile case that has captured the imagination of
everybody in the country and outside.
Gomez
indicated that he was opposed to an adjournment of the case, noting that
adjourning the matter again would flagrantly violate the accused persons’
right.
He
said lawyer Mene should have properly brief his colleague about the issue
before the court instead of coming to seek for an adjournment.
Lawyer
A.A.B. Gaye said in the interest of justice, since the court was being held to
ransom, the proper thing the court should do was to order for briefs to be
filed.
The
presiding judge then ordered that briefs be filed and each party was given 10
days to file their respective briefs.
The
matter was adjourned until 18 July 2017, for adoption.
It
would be recalled that the accused persons are Yankuba Badjie, Loiuse Richards
Leese Gomez, Saihou Omar Jeng, Babucarr Sallah, Yusupha Jammeh, Haruna Susso,
Tamba Mansary, Lamin Darboe and Lamin Lang Sanyang.
They
are charged with multiple offences including conspiracy to murder, murder,
making false documents amongst others.
The
State which was initially represented by officials from the Attorney Generals
Chamber’s and Ministry of Justice has called two witnesses and were
cross-examined by the defence.
The
move by the state by appointing some senior private legal practitioners to take
over the case sparked opposition from the defence, particularly the first
accused person defence team.
