Escaped US prisoner Faces 21 Charges in The Gambia

He was last Thursday arraigned before Magistrate B.Y. Camara of the Banjul Magistrates' Court to answer charges preferred against him. He vehemently denied the charges.

The particulars of offence in count eleven stated that the accused, while under lawful custody in the United States, illegally escaped from prison custody and thereby committed an offence.

In count 6, the accused is alleged, on diverse dates between 2006 and 2008, while using fake names to conceal the nature or sources thereof, transported into diverse accounts in the Gambia from the United Kingdom the total sum of 150,000 pounds being proceeds of unlawful activities and thereby committed an offence.

Count 7 states that the accused on diverse dates in 2007, in Banjul and other places in The Gambia, converted 52,006.43 pounds into Gambian Dalasis in order to conceal or disguise the unlawful origin of the resources and thereby committed an offence.

The particulars in count 9 read that the accused, Christopher Badgie, on diverse dates in 2007 at Banjul or other places in The Gambia, procured or induced Faburama Badjie to open a bank account with Trust Bank into which he received 98, 000 pounds being the proceeds of his unlawful activities in the United Kingdom and thereby committed an offence.

Count 10 also also alleged that the accused on diverse dates in 2007, with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of 650,000 pounds from one Mrs X of Windsor, UK on the pretext that he would supply her with diamonds and thereby committed an offence.

He was also from count 1 to 5 charged with money laundering, one count of obtaining property by false pretence, three counts of unlawful possession of a Gambian passport, three counts of unlawful possession of Gambian National ID cards, two counts of forgery of official documents, one count of impersonation, and one count of uttering false documents.

He was since granted court bail in the sum of D500, 000 with two Gambians as sureties who must meet the bail condition.

The case continues today.