Court to rule on Sira Wally Ndow and Co case today

Magistrate Omar Cham of the Banjul Magistrates’ Court yesterday adjourned the case involving Sira Wally Ndow Njai, Momodou O.S. Badjie, Fafa Sanyang, Edrissa Mass Jobe, Muntaga Momodou Sallah, Momodou Taal, Seedy Kanyi, Noah Touray, Louie Moses Mendy and Cherno Marena, for ruling.

The accused persons were charged with conspiracy to commit a felony, neglect of official duty, giving false information to a public servant and economic crime specified Offences Act.

In her bail application, lawyer Ida Drammeh told the court that the accused persons were in custody for thirty days without being granted bail.

The court should grant bail to the accused persons, because since 22 June they have been in custody, she said, citing the constitution to support her argument.

Counsel Drammeh further told the court that the court could still grant bail to the accused persons, because the matter was in its jurisdiction.

The constitution is a living document, and the court has the power to grant bail to the accused persons, she added.

Lawyer Awa Sisay-Sabally, lawyer Badou Conteh and lawyer Lamin Camara, all addressed the court on bail for the accused persons.

In response, police prosecutor ASP A. Manga said the accused persons might jump bail if granted bail, adding that “the investigation is still ongoing.”

He, therefore, urged the court to remand them by sending them back to Mile 2 prison.

The matter was adjourned until today, for ruling on the bail application.

The particulars of offence stated that Sira Wally Ndow Njai and Co some time in 2015 and 2016, in Banjul and diverse places in The Gambia, collectively came together to award and sign a contract with March Trading knowing or having reasons to believe that the contract was not genuine.

It was also indicated that Sira Wally Ndow Njai and Co some time in 2015, in Banjul and diverse places in The Gambia, collectively failed to go through a major tendering board prior to awarding the contract to March Trading, and also failed to form a technical committee to address the board on technical matters.

It further read that the accused persons some time in 2015 and 2016, in Banjul and diverse places in The Gambia, collectively came together to award and sign a contract with March Trading knowing or having reasons to believe that the contract was not genuine.

It was further stated that Sira Wally Ndow some time in 2015, in Banjul and diverse places in The Gambia, gave an impression to His Excellency the President of the Islamic Republic of The Gambia that March Petroleum would build a refinery and petrol stations for GNPC in The Gambia, knowingly or having reason to believe it to be false.

It stated further that Sira Wally Ndow and Co some time in 2015, in Banjul and diverse places in The Gambia, collectively came together to award and sign a contract with March Trading, knowingly or having reason to believe that the contract was not authentic and thereby caused a loss of over US$12 million to the economy of The Gambia.

It was also stated that Sira Wally Ndow and Co some time in 2015, in Banjul and diverse places in The Gambia, collectively came together to award and sign a contract with March Trading, knowingly or having reason to believe that the contract was not authentic and, therefore, the travel to Dubai has caused loss of D3,610,656 to the economy of The Islamic Republic of The Gambia.