Lamin Jarju, the supposed Alkalo of Babylon village, was on Monday granted bail by the Brikama Magistrates’ Court presided over by Principal Magistrate Kemo Ceesay.
Jarju was granted bail with the following conditions: that he should stay at his residence in
The condition further stipulated that he should come to court when needed, and he should provide two Gambian sureties, all of whom must provide D50,000 each.
Lamin Jarju is standing trial on charges of personating a public servant, and making false documents.
During Monday’s proceedings, state counsel Christina Leone told the court that she was applying for an adjournment, on the grounds that the state counsel handling the case was out of the jurisdiction.
The accused, in applying for bail, told the court that he is a Gambian and the breadwinner of a family of three wives with fifteen children of school-going age.
According to him, when he was arrested by the NIA, he was given bail and he did not fail the bail until when he was re-arrested and brought before the court.
“I’m therefore begging the court to grant me bail,” he stated.
In response, state counsel Christina Leone told the court that the state was opposed to bail for the accused person.
She said if the accused is granted bail, he would abscond from the jurisdiction or might commit another offence, and might tamper with their investigation.
The accused said that he was arrested by the NIA and was granted bail until when he was rearrested, adding that there was no proof for that because the state did not know whether the accused person was coming from custody.
Magistrate Kemo Ceesay, in his ruling, stated that he had listened to both sides, and that the court considers the charges against the accused person as bailable.
He made reference to various provisions in the constitution, and cited an authority of the Gambia Court of Appeal.
According to him, the accused was given bail at the NIA level and he did not fail the bail, adding that accused person’s defence counsel brought an affidavit before the court, which showed that the accused was tried before and was acquitted.
He said the court also considered all the offences, under which the accused was charged, as misdemeanours.
The magistrate subsequently granted bail to the accused person.
The case was adjourned till 24th January 2011.
