Former
FASDEP coordinator Fafanding Fatajo, and four other senior ministry of
Agriculture officials, who are facing an 18-count criminal offence charge,
yesterday appeared before Justice Simeone Ateh Abi of the Banjul High Court.
The other accused persons are Omar Jammeh, financial controller, Alieu Gaye, accountant, Bakary Kujabi, procurement officer, and Burang Danjo.
When the case was called, state counsel B. Drammeh announced his representation for the state, whilst Lawyer Lamin S. Camara represented Fafanding Fatajo and Omar Jammeh.
The trial judge, Justice Abi then observed that the 5th accused person, Burang Danjo, was absent.
He then ordered the other accused persons to inform Danjo, who is on bail, to come to the court at the next adjournment date.
The state represented by B. Drammeh applied for an adjournment on the grounds that the 5th accused person was absent, which was granted by the trial judge.
The case was then adjourned until 25 November 2015, at 10am for hearing.
Readers would recall that on 2 July 2015, prosecutors amended the charge sheet for the trial of five Agriculture ministry officials, effectively discharging others.
The charges range from negligence of official duties to conspiracy and other crimes.
However, the accused persons denied any wrongdoing as regards the charges read out to them.