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Eight Million Dalasis Bail Bond for British Couple

Dec 17, 2008, 4:26 AM | Article By: Modou Sanyang

The Banjul Magistrates' Court presided over by Principal Magistrate Edrissa Mbai yesterday reviewed one of the bail conditions granted to the accused persons David Borland Fulton and Fiona Rachael Fulton.

This development followed the application made by the defence Counsel Antouman Gaye as his clients could not meet one of the bail conditions.

The bail condition is now reduced to D2M for each surety, but all other conditions remained the same, according to the ruling delivered by the presiding magistrate.

The previous bail condition was D5M for each surety.

Lawyer Antuman Gaye also applied for an adjournment to enable him take further and better instructions from his clients. He said he was privileged to read some of the documents in the hands of the prosecution, adding that he needed the assistant of the court to get those documents to enable study their contents. He added that having access to those documents would also help the accused persons to make up their minds about the charges.

The court later granted the application and ordered the prosecution to make disclosure of all the documents they are going to rely on to the defence at the earliest possible time.

It could be recalled that the British couple are standing trial on a charge of seditious publication contrary to section 52(1) of the criminal Amendment Act No.3 of 2005 cap 10 volume III laws of The Gambia 1990.

According to the particulars of the offence, the two accused persons some time in the year 2007 and 2008 at Banjul and diverse places in The Gambia, jointly printed, published, distributed and reproduced seditious publications with intent to bring into hatred or contempt to excite disaffection against the president or the government of The Gambia, thereby committed an offence.

The case has since been adjourned to 22ndDecember 2008.