Bakary Bojang and Sainey Bojang were on Thursday arraigned before
Principal Magistrate Omar Cham of the Brikama Magistrates’ Court, charged with
community forest.
The charge sheet stated that the accused persons on 17 August 2014, at Kanbong, Bunjinga and Kanfeng villages, without lawful permission from the community forest committee of the said villages, wilfully cut down 29 ebony trees (keno) causing damage to the forest, being property of the forestry department.
Defence counsel JB Sambou said she was asking the court to grant the accused persons bail because the section under which the accused were charged is a misdemeanor and a bailable offence.
She said the accused were in police custody for more than two weeks, which was a violation of their constitutional rights.
Opposing the bail for the accused persons, the police prosecutor, Chief Inspector Touray, said the matter was still under investigation and asked the court for time.
However, the trial magistrate overruled the prosecution’s objection to bail and granted each of the accused persons bail of D2,000 with two sureties, who should provide their ID cards with the court registrar.
The case continues on 16 September 2014.