The Banjul Magistrates’ Court yesterday ordered the Director General of Prisons, David Colley, to produce before the court Alieu Bah and Abdou Jah, both prison inmates, to testify as prosecution witnesses in the ongoing trial involving four senior officers of the Gambia Prisons Department.
Principal Magistrate Tabally issued the order following the application made by the state counsel, Ms Jobe.
Ms Jobe told the court that the case was set for cross-examination of the sixth prosecution witness Jumbo Bah.
She added that at the last adjournment date, the court recorded that even though the accused persons had not secured the services of a lawyer, the court would proceed with the case.
She then applied to the court to order the director general of prisons to produce two prison inmates, Alieu Bah and Abdou Jah, to be brought before the court to testify as prosecution witnesses.
The case was then adjourned till 17th October 2011.
The four senior prison officers are Abdoulie Bojang, Solo Manga, Bubacarr Badjie and Bakary Jammeh.
They are being tried for the offences of destroying evidence, giving unauthorized communications to inmates, and corruption.
Abdoulie Bojang, who faces three charges, is said to have removed a cell phone card in a Samsung cell phone recovered from the prison, knowing it could be used as evidence in court.
He was also alleged to have introduced prohibited articles in the prison, that is, he gave cell phone to inmates, namely Batch Samba Faye and former chief of defence staff Lang Tombong Tamba.
Solo Manga and Buba Badjie are facing similar allegations of providing cell phones to inmates, while Bakary Jammeh, the fourth accused person, was alleged to have corruptly received D100 from Ousman Ndow to show favour to Alieu Bah, an inmate.
It was alleged on count one that the accused persons, Babucarr Badjie, Bakary Jammeh, Solo Manga and Abdoulie Bojang between 2010 and 2011, at Mile 2 Central Prison, in the city of Banjul, being employed in the public service and by virtue of their status as officers of the prisons services respectively, abused the authority of their office by giving mobile phones with SIM cards to one Alieu Bah, an inmate serving prison terms at Mile 2 Central Prison, to make calls to the State House, which they knew could have a negative impact on the national security of The Gambia.
The alleged offence on count two read that the three accused persons brought in three mobile phones marked Nokia with two to Alieu Bah, to make calls without lawful permission.
Count three stated that the three accused persons gave three mobile phones to Alieu Bah, for the purpose of communication.
