Saikou Ceesay, a journalist with the Daily News newspaper, was yesterday ordered by the Banjul Magistrate’s Court to forfeit D100, 000 to the state by virtue of a bail bond he had entered into in July 2011.
Ceesay served as a surety for Nanama Keita, former sports editor of the Daily Observer newspaper, who was facing trial on a charge of giving false information, and has reportedly jumped bail and is now in the United States of America.
The order was made after the prosecuting officer, Superintendent Joof, filed a motion that the accused was out of the jurisdiction, and that the surety was arrested.
Moving the motion, the prosecutor told the court that the said motion was supported by an-eight paragraph affidavit.
He adduced that the motion was for the forfeiture of the bail bond, and for the surety to tell the court why the bail bond should not be forfeited.
Defence counsel Neneh Cham did not object to the motion, and the court subsequently made the order, as stated above.
Ceesay was arrested on Monday and detained at Police headquarters in Banjul, where he spent Monday night.
He was granted police bail, after two persons acting as surety handed in their national Identity Cards.
Readers would recall that the accused person, Nanama Keita, was alleged in May 2011 in Banjul to have presented a petition letter to the Office of the President at State House, claiming wrongful dismissal as the deputy editor-in-chief and head of the sports desk, as well as financial malpractice by the Managing Director of the Daily Observer Company.