State asks for time to prosecute ‘rapist’

State counsel Abdoulie Colley has urged the court to grant him a short adjournment, to enable him prepare for a criminal case involving the state against one Edrissa Camara, accused of rape.

State counsel A. Colley made the request on Monday 14 November 2016, before Justice O. Ottaba of the High Court in Banjul.

The accused, Edrissa Camara, is charged with three counts of rape and abduction.

Count one stated that the accused on 26 October 2015, at Jambur in the Kombo South district of the West Coast Region, had unlawful carnal knowledge of a 14-year-old girl (name withheld) without her consent.

The particulars of offence in count two disclosed that the accused on the said date and place took away and detained the said victim against her will.

Count three stated that he abducted a girl under the age of eighteen.

Meanwhile, during the court sitting on Monday, state counsel A. Colley told the court that he was appearing in the case for the first time, hence needed time to farmiliarise himself for the case.

He, therefore, craved the court’s indulgence to grant him a short adjournment so as to prepare the case.

In his reply, defence counsel Sydney indicated he was not opposing the application for adjournment and, therefore, urged the court to order the state to serve the defence with the witness statements.

The matter was adjourned until 24 November 2016, for hearing.