The
Gambia Court of Appeal presided over by Justice A.O. Adegoke, Justice Awa Bah
and Justice Edrissa Mb’ai, yesterday granted bail to the jailed 11 UDP
supporters, who were convicted and sentenced by the Mansakonko High Court in
July 2016.
The
appellants were Lamin Sonko, Modou Touray, Lansana Beyai, Lamin Marong, Alhajie
Fatty, Nogot Njie, Fatoumatta Jawara, Fatou Camara, Kafu Bayo, Ebrima Jabang
and Modou Ngum.
During
the court sitting, lawyer A.A B. Gaye informed the court that the 4th
appellant, Lamin Marong, was admitted at the hospital as he was receiving
medical treatment.
He
further informed the court that there was pending application before the court,
and called lawyer Amie Bensouda to move the application.
Senior
state counsel A.M. Yusuf, in response, cited the ruling in the case of Ousainou
Darboe and 18 others, and said the state was leaving the matter at the
discretion of the court.
Justice
Awa Bah then retorted: “What are you leaving to the court, are you opposing or
not opposing, we want to record you.”
Justice
Awa Bah added that the ruling delivered last Monday regarding Ousainou Darboe
and 18 others had nothing to do with the present case, noting that the present
case was a different case.
State
counsel Yusuf told the court that his reasons for not opposing the application
for bail for the 11 jailed UDP supporters was based on the ruling of the court
in the case of Darboe and 18 others.
The
court then ruled and asked lawyer Amie Bensouda to move the bail application on
behalf of the 11 appellants, who prayed the court for the appellants to be
admitted to bail on the same terms and conditions as in the sister case of
Darboe and 18 others.
In
her ruling, Justice A.O. Adegoke granted bail to the appellants with one
Gambian surety and ordered that each of the appellants deposit their
international passport with the court and, where the passport was not
available, they should deposit their ID cards with the court.
After
the ruling was delivered, lawyer Amie Bensouda informed the court that the
record of proceedings was ready.
Senior
state counsel A.M. Yusuf applied for a short date to enable the
state/respondent time to study the record, and check whether everything was
intact.
Lawyer
A.N.D. Bensouda then applied for briefs of argument to be ordered, having
regard to the fact that the Christmas vacation was around the corner.
The
court granted the state/respondent’s application.
The matter was then adjourned until 15
December 2016, for mention.
