Human Rights activist knows fate today

Senior Magistrate Hilary U. Abeke of the Banjul Magistrates' Court is expected to deliver judgment today 6th September 2010 in the case of Edwin Nebolisa, a human rights activist and director of programmes at the African Democracy and Good Governance (ADG) organization.

Edwin Nebosa Kakaewan is on trial for allegedly giving false information to a public officer.

The case was on since 5th March 2010, when he was arraigned before the court, and subsequently granted court bail in the sum of D5 million.

It would be recalled that the accused could not meet the bail requirement, and has been remanded in custody since March 2010 to date. In the trial, the prosecution called two witnesses.

The counsel for the accused, lawyer Hujam Gaye told the court that the defence had earlier filed a no-case-to-answer submission, which the trial magistrate overruled.

Counsel in her address insisted that she was still relying on her no-case-to-answer submission, and that the accused person was not opening his defence nor calling any witnesses.

The prosecuting officer Cadet Inspector Manneh told the court that the accused person has a case to answer, as indicated in the charge sheet, and the evidence of the prosecution witnesses.

He, therefore, urged the court to ask the accused person to enter into his defence.

Since then, the case was adjourned to today 6th September 2010 for judgment.

Meanwhile, according to the charge sheet, the accused person some time in the month of March 2010 in the city of Banjul allegedly gave false information to the Office of the President to the effect that the African Democracy and Good Governance (ADG) is a non governmental organization, NGO, which information he knew to be false.