Charges of fraud and economic crimes have been brought against three persons for allegedly causing losses of over D40 million to GAMCEL, the national cellular company.
Christian Brown, Alhagie Bah and Muhammed Bangura, who have already denied any wrongdoing, are currently remanded at the Central Prison Mile 2 pending the filing of a formal bail application by their counsel.
The trio were charged with two counts of conspiracy to defraud and economic crimes.
Prosecutors accused them, on count one, of conspiring to defraud Gamcel of the sum of twenty five million, six hundred and two thousand, two hundred and twenty bututs being the loss of earnings and other incidentals from Africell by illegally diverting international calls without routing same through the international gateway, an act which is detrimental to the economy of The Gambia.
They were also accused of willfully causing the loss of twenty six million, six hundred and ninety nine thousand, three hundred and thirty four dalasis and ten bututs to Gamcel, being the accrued earnings and other incidentals from Africell by illegally diverting international calls without routing same through the international gateway.
All incidents happened between March and April 2011 at Kololi.
At yesterday’s hearing of the case, the presiding judge Justice Joseph Ikpala told defence counsel, Musa O. Bachilly, to file a formal bail application before the court, after he wanted to make an oral application.
The case was then adjourned to 3rd August 2011 for bail to be determined by a vocation judge as the court set to begin its vocation.
Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions SH Barkun represented the state.
According to our sources, the prosecution is expected to call six witnesses to testify in the case.
