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Former GRTS DG Momodou Sabally appears in court

Nov 25, 2016, 10:24 AM | Article By: Bruce Asemota

Momodou Sabally, the erstwhile Director General of The Gambia Radio and Television services (GRTS), was yesterday arraigned before Justice E.O. Dada of the High Court in Banjul.

The matter was slated for plea-taking by the accused, but could not proceed as the court deemed it necessary for the accused to be represented by a legal counsel.

The former head of GRTS was arrested on 8 November 2016 and had been in detention until yesterday, when he was escorted by two security officers and led into the courtroom.

When the case was called, the accused entered the dock and the presiding Judge asked senior state counsel A.M. Yusuf if the state was having the bill of indictment, to which he replied in the affirmative.

She then turned to Sabally and asked him if he had a lawyer, and Sabally said he has no lawyer.

Justice Dada then asked the state counsel how did the accused know that he was coming to court.

Senior state counsel Yusuf replied that the state asked the security officers to bring him to court.

At this juncture, the presiding Judge ordered that the accused be served with the bill of indictment to enable him (the accused) prepare for his case.

The matter was then adjourned until 29 November 2016, for plea-taking.

It would be recalled that Momodou Sabally was arraigned and tried by the High Court in Banjul last year on charges of neglect of official duty, economic crime, among others.

The prosecution closed its case after calling ten witnesses and tendering exhibits to prove the charges against him.

He testified as a lone witness in his defence, but as the matter was set for judgment which was to be delivered by the then presiding judge, Emmanuel Amadi, the state filed a nolle prosecui to discontinue the trial, and Sabally was discharged.