Ten
officials in the Gambia National Petroleum Company (GNPC) case yesterday filed
bail application before Justice O. Ottaba of the Special Criminal Court
Division of the Banjul High Court.
The
applicants are Sira Wally Ndow Njai, Momodou O.S. Badjie, Fafa Sanyang, Edrissa
Mass Jobe, Muntaga Momodou Sallah, Momodou Taal, Seedy Kanyi, Noah Touray, Louie
Moses Mendy and Cherno Marena.
They
were charged with conspiracy to commit a felony, neglect of official duty,
giving false information to a public servant and economic crime under the
Economic Crime Specified Offences Act.
When
the matter was called, senior counsel Ida Drammeh alongside A. Samba and R.Y.
Mendy, representing Sira Wally Njai, said: “My applicant has serious medical
issues. I am applying for her to have access to food and medical attention. She
has diabetes, hypertension and other necessities the court may deem fit.”
They
also made a similar application for Edrissa Jobe.
Lawyers
A. Bensouda, H.S. Sabally, R.Y. Mendy, Badou Conteh and Yasin Senghore
representing Momodou Taal, also made a similar application for the court to
invoke section 37 of the Prisons Act to make an order for the applicant to have
access to proper medication and other necessities.
L.S.
Camara representing Fafa Sanyang, Seedy Kanyi, and Momodou O.S. Badjie, applied
for the applicants to have access to food, family, counsel and proper
medication.
Counsel
R.Y. Mendy, L.S. Camara and Patrick Mendy, representing Louie Moses Mendy,
applied that the applicant be given access to good food from home, as well as
access to his family and proper medical attention.
Counsel
L. Farage representing Muntaga Momodou Sallah and Noah Touray, made the same
submission on their behalf.
All
the other accused persons applied for bail and made similar applications to the
court.
The
state represented by DPP S.H. Barkun, did not object to the applications of the
applicants to have access to their families, medication, food and counsel.
The
DPP would, however, respond to the bail application during the hearing.
The
trial judge, Justice O. Ottaba, ruled that the Director of Prisons should allow
the applicants to have access to their family members, lawyers, food and proper
medication.
The
judge said the DPP was minded to respond to the bail applications.
The
matter was adjourned until 21 July 2016, for hearing on the bail application.
