“It is the right of the accused to a speedy trial. The last adjourned date the prosecution said they have 102 witnessesand today they are saying that they have 125 witnesses to testify. They are just delaying the case. I urge the court to strike out the case. I would like to bring to the attention of the court that the complainants in the case are fond of attacking and insulting the accused person and the defence team in the videos they post. They should know that this is an allegation. They should be patient,” he told the court.
Earlier, the prosecuting officer, Commissioner A. Sanneh, told the court that the prosecution intended to call their first witness. “Your Worship, I told the witness, one Omar Ceesay, in my office that the case would come up today at 2pm. It is unfortunate that he is not in court. I briefed him but he told me that his brother who is in France, who paid for the Mecca ticket for his mother had told him that he was advised to institute a civil suit to recover their money. He told me that he has to consult his group of complainants as to whether they will institute a civil suit. I told him that the civil suit they intend to institute can be done while the criminal case proceeds at the same time. I would advise the complainants to be patient. We are still investigating the matter. We have about 125 witnesses and investigating this will take long. We will consult them and their counsels,” he said at length.
The presiding magistrate, A. Manneh, ruled that the case was adjourned for the prosecution to proceed with the case by calling their first witness. “The accused has the right to a speedy trial. As a result, the prosecution should ensure that the case proceeds. Considering the amount of money involved, the case cannot be struck out. The prosecution will be given another chance to proceed with the case. Let them consult the complainants and their counsels,” the magistrate stated.
The case was subsequently adjourned till 13 August 2026.
