Court to rule in ex-GPA MD‘s trial

Acting Principal Magistrate Dawda S. Jallow of the Banjul Magistrates’ Court will on 28th March 2013 rule in the trial involving former Gambia Ports Authority Managing Director, Abdoulie Tambedou.

Mr Tambedou faces a four-count charge, all relating to giving false information to a public officer, charges he denied.

This followed the adpotion of briefs by the defence counsel and reply by the police prosecutor on the no-case-to answer submission filed by the defence.

When the case was called in a crowded courtroom, defence counsel Lamin S. Camara informed the court that he was served with the briefs filed by the police prosecutor, Sergeant Manga.

He added that he would apply to the court to make certain amendments on the briefs filed by the defence on the no-case-to-answer submission, and that defence was relying on all the paragraphs in support of their case.

The application for the amendments was upheld by the court.

According to the defence counsel in his briefs, there was no burden of proof placed on the accused person in the criminal proceedings, and therefore no reasonable tribunal would convict any accused person on this weak evidence adduced by the prosecution witnesses.

Counsel, therefore, applied to adopt the defence briefs on the no-case-to-answer submission made by the defence, dated 20th February 2013, in support of the defence case.

 In response, police prosecutor Sergeant Manga also told the court that the prosecution had filed their reply in support of their case.

He further told the court that the prosecution was applying to adopt the briefs dated 26th February 2013, and they are also replying on all the paragraphs stated in their application.

The matter was then adjourned till 28th March 2013, for ruling.

The particulars of offence on count one read that Abdoulie Tambedou, on 13 August 2012, in Banjul, within the jurisdiction of the court, wrote a petition letter with reference number GPA/MD (1) to the Office of the President, alleging that indiscipline is being meted out to him by the associates and relatives of his predecessor, Momodou Lamin Gibba, by way of making derogatory remarks towards him and the GPA management with intent to make the GPA ungovernable for him and the information he knew to be false at the time.

Count two stated that Abdoulie Tambedou, on 13 August 2012, in Banjul, within the jurisdiction of the court, wrote a letter with reference number GPA/MD (1) to the Office of the President that he had actually informed his predecessor, Momodou Lamin Gibba of the problems he had with his alleged relatives and associates in which he distanced himself from their actions, an information he knew to be false at the time.

Count three stated that Abdoulie Tambedou, on 13 August 2012, in Banjul, within the jurisdiction of the court, wrote a letter with reference number GPA/MD (1) to the Office of the President, that if he had taken an action against Lamin Sanyang and Ebou Gibba, the duo would have definitely written to the President’s office complaining of tribalism, an information he knew to be false at the time.

Count four stated that Abdoulie Tambedou, some time in December, 2012, at the Police Headquarters in Banjul, within the jurisdiction of the court, he allegedly told the panel of investigators that Lamin L. Sanyang attempted to knock him down with his car during one of his visits to the PWD container terminal in July 2012, an information he knew to be false.