When the case was called, trial Magistrate O. Cham told the court that defence counsel LK Mboge called and told him he could not come.
The accused persons could narrate their own side of the story in the absence of their lawyer, the magistrate added, the reason being that the accused persons are old men, who could be affected by frequent delays of the matter.
However, the caliph General said: “We are not going to talk in the absence of our lawyer because, since at the beginning, he has been speaking on our behalf.”
The trial magistrate then said the accused persons had the right to remain silent since they were represented, but added that at the next adjourned date whether or not the counsel is present in court, the matter would proceed.
The case was then adjourned to 23 February 2015.
The charge sheet in count one stated that the accused persons, Sheikh Muhideen Hydara and Buyeh Touray, on 29 July 2014 between 10 am and 11 am, at Darsilameh Sangajor village in the Foni Kansala district of the West Coast Region, jointly conspired to commit an offence.
Count two stated that they jointly disobeyed a lawful order of the President of The Gambia by refusing to perform Eid ul Fitr prayers on 28 July 2014, as announced by GRTS and instead performed the Eid on 29 July 2014, and thereby committed an offence.
