Justice
B.A. Suleiman Awoniran of the Kanifing High Court yesterday ordered the
applicants and the respondents to file their briefs related to a motion in the
case seeking for the release of 41 UDP supporters.
When
the case was called, lawyers B.S. Touray, Gaye-Coker and Yassin Senghore
represented the applicants.
Counsel
B.S. Touray then said he was apologizing for not being in court at the last
sitting, but his learned friend was in court.
He
further told the court that they had duly issued the sign ed and stamped
originating summons.
The
applicants were then given two working days to file their briefs, while the
respondents were given three days to file their briefs.
The
case was then adjourned until 14 July 2016.
According
to the defence, they filed a motion for the declaration that the arrest of the
applicants by the IGP, the NIA and the Commissioner of Police or by their
subordinates and/or agents on Monday 9 May 2016, in the Kanifing Municipality
of The Gambia, “is unlawful” in that “it is inconsistent and or in
contravention of section 19 and 25 of the constitution”.
The
motion further indicated that “the detention of the applicants by the
respondents since 9 May 2016 is unlawful and unconstitutional in that the said
detention is inconsistent with and/or in contravention of sections 19 and 24 of
the constitution, as well as article 6 of the African Charter on Human and
Peoples’ Rights”.
There
was a declaration by the motion for an order directing the “unconditional
release” from detention and custody of the applicants.
