Lamin Ceesay, Mamina Sambou, Nyima Ceesay, Fatou Ceesay, Isatou Bah, Awa Ceesay, Modou M. Ceesay and Modou Cham were recently arraigned at the Brikama Magistrates' Court for common nuisance and assaulting police officers in due execution of their duties. All of them denied the charges.
According to the particulars of offence on count one, on 8th January 2010, at Brikama Nema, Western Region, the accused persons had caused obstruction and inconvenience to the public.
Count two stated that, on the same month, year and place, the accused persons unlawfully assaulted police officers, namely Inspector Paul Gomez and 9 others, by throwing stones on them while in due execution of their duties.
Senior Defence Counsel, Ousianou Darboe, applied to the court to grant bail to the accused persons on the grounds that the offence allegedly committed by the accused persons is bailable.
According to him, there is no law which states that when the principal suspect is at large, other accused persons should be denied bail. He therefore urged the court to grant his clients bail.
Also Defence Counsel, H. Gaye who represented the second accused person, Mamina Sambou, told the court that her client is a nursing mother of a two-month-old baby.
According to her, at the time of her client's arrest, the baby was sick.
She informed the court that her client is a student of the University of The
In response to Defence Counsel's application for bail, the police prosecutor Cadet ASP Samateh objected to the bail on the grounds that the principal suspect in the case is still at large. He said if the accused persons are granted bail, they may temper with the investigation.
However, the prosecution's objection was overruled and the accused persons were subsequently granted court bail in the sum of D10, 000 with a Gambian surety each.
The case was adjourned to 21st January 2010 for hearing.
