However, before the charges were read to the accused persons, Commissioner Sanneh informed the court that they had an application under Section 62 of the Criminal Procedural Code and Legal Notice number 3, 2019, for the matter to be transferred to the Special Criminal Court.
Commissioner Sanneh submitted that the offences the accused persons were charged with were robbery with violence, which was a capital offence, and the punishment attracts life imprisonment, a case the Magistrates’ Court lacks the jurisdiction to hear.
Commissioner Sanneh relied on Section 208A of the Criminal Procedural Code for the accused to be remanded in the Mile II Central Prison pending the hearing of the matter before the High Court.
The application was granted by the presiding magistrate, who further stated that the court did not have the jurisdiction to hear such a case,hence said the accused could be remanded in the Mile II Central Prison pending the hearing at the Special Criminal Code.
According to the police prosecution, the accused persons –Ansumana Jarjue, Abdoulie Jallow, Losseni Diabate, an Ivorian, and Omar Secka - were charged with nine counts of criminal acts.
Count one stated that the first accused, Ansumana Jarjue, was on 29 June 2021 at the United Bureau, Senegambia, armed with a cutlass and violently robbed one Binta Bah and forcefully took One Thousand, Two Hundred Dalasis (D1,200), three laptops valued at Twenty-Three Thousand Dalasis (D23,000), one Samsung S9+ valued at Seventeen Thousand Dalasis (D17,000), and one simple phone valued at One Thousand Dalasis (D1000). The total amount of D42, 200 is the property of one Amadou Mutarr Jallow.
Count two stated that the accused Ansumana Jarjue, Abdoulie Jallow, and Losseni Diabate on 31 December 2024 at United Vegetable Oil Company, Denton Bridge, conspired among themselves to commit a felony therein to wit: robbery.
The police prosecutors further alleged in count three that Ansumana Jarjue, Abdoulie Jallow and Losseni Diabate on 31 December 2024 at United Vegetable Oil Company, Denton Bridge, were armed with cutlasses, violently robbed the staff of the said company and went away with the sum of Four Hundred Thousand Dalasis (D400,000).
Counts four and five indicated that the four accused –Ansumana Jarjue, Abdoulie Jallow, Losseni Diabate and Omar Secka - on 22 January 2025 at Access Bank, Brusubi branch, conspired among themselves to commit robbery with violence while armed with pistols, and robbed One Million, Five Hundred Thousand Dalasis (D1,500,000).
The prosecution also alleged in count six that Ansumana Jarjue, Abdoulie Jallow, Losseni Diabate and Omar Secka were on 22 January 2025 at Access Bank, without authority or lawful excuse in possession of two pistols, masked unknown with 13 ammunitions without a licence from the Inspector General of Police.
The prosecution further alleged that in counts 7, 8 and 9, the accused –Abdoulie Jallow and Losseni Diabate conspired among themselves on 8 February 2025 at El HELLA shop in Banjul and committed robbery with violence by being armed with pistols, and robbed one Muhammed Seedy Hydara and Ebrima Hydara of the sum of One Million, Two Hundred and Forty-Five Thousand Dalasis (D1,245,000) and 1,650CFA, respectively.
The prosecution added that the two accused had firearms with 13 ammunitions without proper licence authority or lawful excuse from the Inspector General of Police.
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