In GRTS Gas Oil Saga, Prosecution Fails to Prove Case

Abdoulie Joof, Badou Jagne, Sanna Nyassi and Hatab Jammeh were on the 17thDecember 2008 discharged and acquitted by Senior Magistrate Abdoulie Mbackeh of the Kanifing Magistrates' Court after the prosecution failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.

The accused persons were earlier arraigned on a charge of being in possession of 20 gallons for the purpose of stealing gas oil from a GRTS tank, a charge they denied.

However, two GRTS staff, Abdoulie Kujabi and Ebrima Gomez pleaded guilty to the charge and they were convicted and sentenced accordingly.

In his judgement, Magistrate Mbackeh told the court that the prosecution had failed to prove its case against the accused persons. He stated that the accused were dragged to the matter by Abdoulie Kujabi, who deceived them as to the sort of mission they were going for at GRTS and that the prosecution also failed to prove that the accused persons had prior knowledge that the intention was to steal gas oil from the GRTS tank.

He added that the prosecution could not prove the element of conspiracy. He finally indicated that it was Abdoulie Kujabi who masterminded the whole matter. He subsequently discharged and acquitted the accused persons.