Jobarteh’s abuse of office trial adjourned

The trial on charges of abuse of office and destroying evidence involving former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Lamin AMS Jobarteh, was yesterday adjourned at the Banjul Magistrates’ Court before Principal Magistrate Hilary Abeke.

The case was adjourned as the magistrate was attending the graduation of law students from Law School.

Jorbateh is already serving jail terms, after being convicted twice recently by the Special Criminal Court in Banjul.

The case, which was not called in court, was subsequently adjourned to 16 January 2014, for continuation of the testimony from the first prosecution witness.

 According to the latest charge sheet, Jobarteh was accused in count one that in May 2012, at the Ministry of Justice in Banjul, within the jurisdiction of the court, whilst being employed as the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, he acted in excess of his office and instructed Miss Anna Dibba, the then state counsel at the Special Litigation Department to effect a withdrawal of a legal suit in the State versus Muhammed Kebbeh and Alhagie Ash John, that was before the Banjul Magistrates’ Court, and thereby committed an offence.

In count two, Lamin AMS Jobarteh was accused that sometime in May 2012, he obtained a case file in the State versus Muhammed Kebbeh and Alhagie Ash John from Anna Dibba, at the Special Litigation Department in the Ministry of Justice and willfully destroyed same with intent of preventing it from being used in further proceedings, and thereby committed an offence.

Jobarteh denied both charges.