Jobarteh is already serving a two-year jail term, after being convicted twice by the Special Criminal Court Division of the high court.
He was recently arraigned on new charges, which included three counts of abuse of office and two counts of forcible entry; charges he denied.
The hearing was preceded by a ruling on the application made by the defence counsel for the court to strike out the case, for want of competence and for being premature.
The defence application was overruled, and the accused person was called to enter into his plea.
The particulars of offence in count one stated that Lamin AMS Jobarteh, some time in 2011 at Tubanding village in the Upper Fulladu West district of the Central River Region, within the jurisdiction of the court, being a judge of the High Court, in abuse of the authority of his office ordered and directed the arrest and detention of Mustapha Kanyi at the Bansang Police Station, and thereby committed an offence.
Lamin AMS Jobarteh was accused in count two that some time in 2011, at Tubanding village, he ordered and directed the arrest and detention of Yerro Jamanka at Bansang Police Station, and thereby committed an offence.
Count three stated that Lamin AMS Jobarteh, in 2009 and 2011, at Tubanding village, in order to take possession of land not given to him, entered upon such land in the village by threats, and of fencing beyond the areas given to him, and thereby committed an offence.
Count four stated that in April 2013, at Bansang, in order to take possession of community land within the Bansang village bantaba, Jobarteh ordered the relocation of the NAWEC public tap and entered upon such land in Bansang village by threat, and then commenced developments on that land; and thereby committed an offence.
Lamin AMS Jobarteh was further accused in court five that in April 2013 at Bansang, being the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, in abuse of the authority of his office, he arbitrarily ordered and directed the relocation of the NAWEC public tap at the village bantaba; and thereby committed an offence.
The case was then adjourned to 6 March 2014, for hearing.
Jobarteh is currently on trial at both the Special Criminal Court and Banjul Magistrates’ Court.
At the Special Criminal Court, Jobarteh faces an eleven-count charge which included abuse of office, wrongfully retaking possession of land from person who obtained possession by writ of court, economic crime, giving false information to a public officer, forcible entry, operating business without a license, among others.
The charges at the Banjul Magistrates’ Court were abuse of office and destroying evidence.
