Tina
Faal, former National Assembly Member, yesterday pleaded ‘not guilty’ to a
count of theft, before Magistrate Omar Cham of the Banjul Magistrates’ Court.
This
followed a ruling made by the magistrate over the application made by the
defence counsel, Combeh Gaye-Coker, for the court to strike out count three,
which is theft, for its incompetence.
Magistrate
Cham, in his ruling, told the court that he had listened to both the
prosecution and the defence, and came to the conclusion that count three was
not incompetent and defective.
He,
therefore, called on the accused person to take her plea on count three.
Tina
Faal was earlier arraigned and charged with conspiracy, obtaining goods by
false pretence and theft.
Prosecutors
alleged that sometime between the 2014 and 2016 in Banjul and diverse places
within the jurisdiction of the court, with intent to defraud, the accused
conspired with one Babanding Sissoho and sold various parts of a Boeing
727-234SM2216-55v TPA aircraft to one Alhagie Omar Keita, being the property of
O’ Corporation Company Ltd.
It
was also alleged that in the same period and place, the accused intended to
defraud and sold various parts of the aircraft, belonging to the O’ Corporation
Company Ltd of Ireland by Sheriff sale to one Alhagie Omar Keita when she fully
knew or had reasons to believe that the said flight was sold by the Sheriff of
The Gambia by way of public auction.
The
bill of indictment further indicated that with intent to permanently deprive,
the accused sold parts of the said aircraft belonging to the same company to
Alhagie Omar Keita when she fully knew or had reasons to believe that the said
flight was bought by the company from the Sheriff of The Gambia by way of
public auction.
Tina
Faal also earlier pleaded not guilty to the counts of conspiracy and obtaining
goods by false pretence.
The
case was adjourned until 10 August 2016.
