At the Banjul Magistrates’ Court before Principal Magistrate Krubally, Jobarteh was charged with four counts: attempted murder, reckless and negligent acts, disobedience to lawful orders, and common assault.
Prosecutors alleged he attempted to cause the death of Sergeant Alagie Badjie by driving while the officer was on the vehicle’s bonnet. He is also accused of driving in a rash and negligent manner likely to endanger life, refusing police instructions to surrender his vehicle, and assaulting Alagie Barry. He pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Magistrate Krubally entered a plea of not guilty and reminded the court the prosecution bears the burden of proof beyond reasonable doubt.
The prosecution, led by Commissioner A. Sanneh, objected to bail, citing the seriousness of the offences and ongoing investigations into other alleged offences. Sanneh argued that granting bail could expose the accused to public attacks due to the nature of the allegations and public reaction.
Defence Counsel Adama Sillah opposed, arguing all offences were bailable. Citing the Criminal Offences Act 2025 and constitutional guarantees of liberty and presumption of innocence, he said the prosecution showed no legal grounds to deny bail, such as risk of witness interference, destruction of evidence, reoffending, or absconding.
“The court cannot rely on speculation,” Sillah argued.
In his ruling, Magistrate Krubally acknowledged the allegations’ seriousness but noted the offences were bailable. He granted Jobarteh bail of D250,000 with four Gambian sureties, who must provide valid ID, contact details, addresses, and affidavits of means.
Meanwhile, at the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court before Magistrate A. Manneh, Jobarteh faced three traffic charges from the same incident: reckless or dangerous driving, unlicensed driving, and careless driving, contrary to the Motor Traffic Act.
Prosecutors alleged he drove a Mercedes-Benz C-Class dangerously, without a valid licence, and without due care for other road users. He pleaded not guilty.
Defence counsel again applied for bail, calling the offences misdemeanours. He relied on Section 123 of the Criminal Offences Act 2025 and Sections 19 and 24 of the Constitution.
Representing the IGP, Sergeant Camara, led by Commissioner Manga, said the prosecution was not outrightly opposing bail but urged caution because investigations continued. They argued releasing the accused could affect investigations.
Sillah replied that the concerns were speculative and unsupported. Courts, he said, should not be used as detention centres merely because investigations are ongoing.
Magistrate Manneh emphasised that every accused is presumed innocent and bail cannot be denied on mere suspicion. She held that ongoing investigations alone do not justify refusal and noted the prosecution advanced no facts meeting legal requirements to deny bail.
The court granted Jobarteh bail of D100,000 with three sureties. He was ordered not to interfere with investigations and to attend court when required.
The Banjul case was adjourned to June 16, and the Kanifing case to July 1, 2026, for trial.
Despite securing bail from both courts, Jobarteh was transferred to Mile 2 Central Prison pending fulfilment of bail conditions, as official working hours had ended and court business closed for the day.
