Justice Moses Richards of the Special Criminal Court of the High Court on Friday 4th December 2009 granted bail to Mr. Haruna Jaiteh, the embattled Judiciary Secretary, who is standing trial on a charge of stealing.
He was granted bail in the sum of D500, 000 with two Gambian sureties, who must sign a bail bond of D500, 000 each, one of whom should be in possession of a landed property within the Greater Banjul Area.
It could be recalled that a lower court, the Banjul Magistrates' Court on Thursday 3rd December 2009 denied Mr. Jaiteh bail on the grounds that he is likely to abscond. The prosecution informed the court that the case file had been sent to the Attorney-General Chambers for legal advice.
According to his Defence Counsel, Badou S.M Conteh, the decision of the High Court followed his application to grant his client bail.
Judiciary Secretary Jaiteh is accused of stealing D1, 017,000 between 2005 and 2009, at the Sheriff Division, a charge he vehemently denied.
It could be recalled that the three senior judicial officials, namely Justice Amina Saho-Ceesay, Justice Ngui Mboob-Janneh and Haruna Jaiteh Judicial Secretary, were on 2nd December 2009, arraigned before Magistrate Emmanuel Nkea of the Banjul Magistrates? Court, charged with stealing by clerk or servant. All of them denied the charges.
Justice Amina Saho-Ceesay who was granted bail in the sum of D4m, is accused of stealing D2, 000.000 (two million Dalasi) and US$ 1000 between the year 2005 to 2009, at the Sheriff Division of the High Court, while Justice Ngui Mboob-Janneh is accused of stealing D803, 000 and 900 pound sterling between 2005 to 2009.
She was the first to be granted a court bail on the grounds that she is under pregnancy in the sum of D1.5m.