Police Cadet Inspector remanded

Cadet Inspector Abdou Aziz Cole of the Gambia Police Force, arraigned at the Banjul Magistrates' Court for alleged theft, was yesterday remanded in custody when he appeared before Senior Magistrate Hilary U. Abeke.

The accused person was charged with stealing by clerk or servant.
According to the particulars of the offence, Cadet Inspector Abdou Azziz Cole, between June 2007 and August 2008, while in the Sudanese region of Darfur on a peace-keeping mission with the Gambian police contingent, allegedly received a total amount of 15,660 US dollars from various police officers.

The said amount was the contingent’s 10% monthly contribution to the Gambia Police Force, which he failed to deliver to the Gambia Police Force.

The police prosecutor, Cadet Inspector Manneh, told the court that the prosecution was opposed to bail.

According to the prosecutor, investigations into the case are yet to be concluded, and that there is a tendency that the accused person may tamper with the investigations.

He said the amount involved is a huge sum that belonged to each and every member of the Gambia Police Force and, therefore, urged the court not to grant bail to the accused.

In response, defence counsel Antouman AB Gaye told the court that the reasons advanced by the prosecuting officer did not hold water.

 According to him, investigation of the case was completed and that was why the accused person had been brought before the court. He urged the court to hold that the investigation was completed.

Lawyer Antouman Gaye quoted high court authorities to support his submission.

In his ruling, Magistrate Abeke said he had listened to both the prosecution and the defence counsel.

According to the magistrate, the issue of bail was left to the discretion of the court, and that the court should not lose sight of its responsibilities.

 He said the offence allegedly committed is bailable, but the amount involved is huge, as stated by the prosecutor.

Consequently, he denied the accused person bail and adjourned the case to 18th March 2010 for continuation of the hearing.