Ultimatum in cocaine appeal case

Justice Edrisa Fafa Mbai of the high court in Banjul yesterday gave the defence a week to put their house in order by providing complete records of proceedings at the lower court, otherwise he would strike out the multi-million dollar cocaine appeal case.

Prior to that, the appellants’ counsel, Lamin S. Camara, alongside Ngui Mboon-Janneh, informed the court that they have not received copies of the record of proceedings, adding that he doubted whether the state had been served.

He said he was made to understand that the judgment was not part of the document before the court, and added that it was available with him and could make it available to the court.

“The court should remember that three different magistrates sat on the case,” Camara told the court.

In a short ruling, the trial judge announced that the matter was adjourned to 20 March 2012, and that if the record of proceedings were not ready on that date, he shall have the matter struck out.

Readers would recall that the appellants, all foreign nationals, are appealing against the judgment of the lower court in Banjul, which sentenced them to 50 years in prison for conspiracy to traffic over two tonnes of cocaine.