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High court grants King Colley, others bail

Aug 3, 2011, 1:53 PM | Article By: Sainey M.K. Marenah

Justice Emmanuel Nkea, the vacation judge sitting at the high court in Banjul, yesterday released Lamin King Colley, a senior police officer, Musa Jobe, and Tida Badjie, a policewoman, on bail.

This followed a ruling on a bail application filed by defence counsel Uzoma Achigbue before the court.

King Colley and the other accused persons were remanded in custody by the lower court in Banjul on charges of economic crimes and other related offences.

The second vice president of the Gambia Football Association (GFA), King Colley, was granted bail in the sum of D750, 000 with two Gambian sureties with landed property. He was ordered to deposit all his travel documents with the court.

The second applicant, Musa Jobe, was released on bail for D150, 000 with two Gambian sureties. Jobe was also ordered by the court to deposit his travel documents with the court.

Tida Badjie, the third accused person, was also released on bail for D150, 000 with one Gambian surety, and asked to deposit her travel documents with the court.

The applicants counsel, Uzoma Achigbue, on Monday filed a motion of notice at the high court, seeking bail for his clients, saying that both Colley and Jobe have health problems and their continued detention might have an impact on them.

Counsel submitted that Tida Badjie is a nursing mother, and having her in detention would have some consequences.

He urged the court to grant bail to the applicants, as they would not jump bail, describing them as “responsible people”.

S.H. Barkum, the deputy Director of Public Prosecutions said the state was not objecting to the counsel’s request for bail.

However, he told the vocation judge that they intended to amend the charges against King Colley.

In one of the counts, police prosecutors accused Lamin King Colley, Ousman Manjang and Abdou Willan of conspiring, between 2010 and 2011 at diverse places in The Gambia, to intentionally cause economic loss to the Government of The Gambia, by means of making false declarations for vehicle licenses and road tax certificates.

Ousman Manjang, Zainey Faal, Abdou Willan, Musa Jobe, Tida Badjie, Superintendent Lamin King Colley and Temple Godson, a Nigerian national, were also accused of conspiring to defraud government of its revenue, between 2010 and 2011 in Banjul and diverse places in The Gambia.

They were further accused of intentionally doing an act which was detrimental to the economy of The Gambia.

On count three, the seven accused persons were further accused of forging road tax discs and vehicle licence receipt books.

Another accusation was that they had in their possession a printing machine for the purpose of forging road tax discs and vehicle license receipt books.

Police prosecutors further stated that ASP Lamin King Colley, Musa Jobe and Tida Badjie being employed in the public services and by virtue of their status as officers of the Gambia Police Force and and as a GRA officer respectively, abused their various offices by procuring and receiving false road tax discs and vehicle licence receipt books.

It was also alleged that Lamin King Colley, Musa Jobe and Tida Badjie corruptly procured and received road tax disc and vehicle licence receipt books.

Prosecutor’s stated that all the alleged acts are detrimental to the economy of The Gambia.