#Headlines

High Court Assistant Bailiff faces charge of obtaining money by false pretence, frauds

Aug 25, 2021, 11:07 AM | Article By: Dawda Faye

Bakary Sarr, Assistant Bailiff at the High Court in Banjul, was yesterday paraded before Principal Magistrate Isatou Janneh-Njie of the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court and charged with obtaining money by false pretence contrary to Section 288 of the Criminal Code and frauds and breaches of trust by person employed in the public service contrary to Section 112 of the Criminal Code.

Prosecutors alleged that Bakary Sarr in the month of May, 2020, at Kanifing and diverse places in the Republic of The Gambia, by false pretence and with intent to defraud, obtained from one Bully Nimaga the sum of D1,056,000 under the pretext that he was selling a plot of land on behalf of the Sheriff Division measuring 20m X 75m situated at Brusubi Phase 1 which representation was false at the time.

The indictment further indicated that at the same place and being employed in the public service as Assistant Bailiff at the High Court in Banjul, and by virtue of such employment, he fraudulently obtained from Bully Nimaga the sum of D1,056,000 under the pretext that he was selling a plot of land on behalf of the Sheriff Division, an act calculated to breach of trust in the public service.

He denied any wrongdoing.

The prosecuting officer, Commissioner A. Sanneh, told the court that they were not opposing bail and applied for an adjournment to enable the prosecution to call their witnesses.

The presiding magistrate subsequently granted the accused bail in the sum of D1,000,000 with two Gambian sureties one of whom should deposit his or her title deed whose value is D1,000,000 with the registrar of the court. They should also deposit their ID cards and swear to an affidavit of means.

The case was adjourned to the 9th September, 2021, for the prosecution to make a lineup of their witnesses to testify.