The UDP and its members are challenging the appointments of Dembo Bojang (Religious adviser), Dou Sanno (Deputy political adviser), Lamin Cham (President’s personal aide), Hendry Gomez (Special adviser), Lamin K. Saidy (Deputy Youth adviser) and Sulayman Camara (Cyber Security adviser).
The party and its members want the Supreme Court to declare their appointments “unconstitutional since it contravenes sections 166 and 170 of the 1997 Constitution”. They also said the appointments contravene the General Orders.
Last Monday when the case was called, the leader of the UDP legal team, senior lawyer Ousainu Darboe, informed the court that they needed time to properly guide their witnesses.
There was no objection from lawyers Ida Drammeh for the presidential advisers and Yakar H. Cox representing the Attorney General and the Public Service Commission.
Chief Justice Hassan B. Jallow then passed an order to all the parties in the case to prepare their witnesses so the case could be dealt with and concluded.
The witness Kemo Bojang, nominated councillor of the Kanifing Municipality Council, admitted knowing all the 6 presidential advisers and testified that they all held offices.
Mr Bojang brought evidence in videography of Dembo Bojang confirming, in the video, that he was the national president and now lifetime national youth president and a special presidential adviser. The video evidence also included Doudo Sanno, Lamin Cham, Lamin K. Saidy and Hendry Gomez.
Bojang also made mention of Sulayman Camara, who was appointed as an honorary adviser on cybersecurity.
The presiding counsel for the plaintiffs, lawyer Aziz Bensouda, applied to tender all the videos played in court into evidence and an additional evidence of Lamin K. Saidy, who, the witness said, posted on his Facebook page that he held a position of youth adviser to the president and he was the deputy national youth president of the National People’s Party (NPP).
The defendants’ lawyer Ida Drammeh started cross-examining Kemo Bojang, the witness called by the plaintiff.
The case continues today.
