+ GMT Select Your Local Time London GMT Johannesburg Lagos Cairo Accra Mogadishu Abuja Cape Town Free Town Addis Ababa Austria Bahrain Bangladesh Australia Sydney Austria Bahrain Bangladesh Belgium Brazil East Brazil West Canada Toronto Canada Pacific China Beijing Cuba Cyprus Denmark Egypt Ethiopia Finland France Germany Ghana Greece Hon Kong Hungary India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Italy Jamaica Japan Jordan Kenya Korea (Rep. of) Kuwait Lebanon Liberia Libya Luxemburg Malaysia Mali Malta Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Mexico City Morocco Netherlands New Zealand Nigeria Norway Oman Pakistan Paraguay Philippines Poland Portugal Qatar Romania Russia Moscow Russia Vladivostok Saudi Arabia Senegal Sierra Leone Singapore South Africa Spain Sudan Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tanzania Thailand Trinidad And Tobago Tunisia Turkey United Arab Emirates United Kingdom USA Washington USA San Francisco USA New York USA Hawaii Venezuela Yemen Zaire Kinshasa Zaire Katanga Zambia Zimbabwe STO
[Pacific Sighting] See Makkah Clock
Searching EsinIslam بحث موقع
Home | Explore | Broadcasters | Media | Donations | About Us | Contact | Fatwa | Our Sheikh
Save
Court Postpone Fate Of Gambian Afro Juju Trio To October
11 August 2009
Justice Joseph Wowo of the Banjul High Court, on Monday 27th July, deferred the case of Osseh Abdoulie Corr, Alassan Mbowe and Baboucarr Njie to 7th October 2009. The trios were standing trial on charges of Juju criminal activities, acquitted by the Banjul Magistrate Court but were re-arrested by the security agents and sent back to detention, and later appeared before the High Court on the grounds of an appeal against the verdict of the Magistrates' Court. On Monday, 27th, the defence counsel was to summit a bail application for his clients but was heavily engaged in another case in a different court. The three detainees were all in court. The matter was adjourned to 7th October, 2009, for the proposed bail application by the defence counsel. The long adjournment is due to the High Court going on the annual summer three month vacation. They were on 23rd June remanded by Justice Wowo. The defence attempted to apply bail but the case was deferred to 27th July. It could be recalled that Osseh Corr, Alassan Mbowe and Baboucarr Njie were arrested by the NIA on 9th September, 2008, arraigned in court on 17th October before Principal Magistrate Edrissa F. Mbai of the Banjul Magistrates' Court and charged with three criminal Juju counts: "Attempt to acquire juju criminal charms for malefactors, contrary to section 365 of the criminal code, offering criminal charms for reward, contrary to section 168 (A) of the criminal code and conspiracy to acquire criminal charms, contrary to section 368 of the criminal code". They all pleaded not guilty but were remanded by the court pending the outcome of the trial. The reason for their remand was based on the fact adduced by the prosecution that there are others at large who might not be brought to justice. The state called in seven witnesses to testify against the three. At the end of the state's case, the defence team, led by Lawyer Pap Cheyasin Secka, submitted "no case," but was rejected by the court and were asked to open their defence and prove their innocence. All the three gave evidence but did not call in any supportive witnesses. On Wednesday, 25 March, 2009, after six months of legal wrangling resulting to two defence counsels withdrawing from the case, Principal Magistrate Mbai delivered a landslide judgment amid a congested court room. He acquitted and discharged all the three for lack of evidence against them. However, they never left the court and were escorted back into detention by the NIA agents. To the amazement of the watching crowd and family members, they were whisked away in a security van back to detention. On Tuesday 19th May, they appeared before Justice Wowo consequent upon the state's appeal against the judgment of the magistrate court. The state wanted the High Court to order the stay of execution of the judgment of the magistrate and to remand them pending the state's appeal. After submissions and counter submissions on both sides, on June 23rd, Justice Wowo rejected the objection raised by the defence and again rejected the State's application for the order for the stay of execution of judgment by Magistrate Mbai. He ruled that there is nothing in the judgment to be stayed and that the judgment should be executed and carried out. At the same time, he accepted the application by the state to remand the trio pending the outcome of the appeal. On October, 7, upon the commencement of the High Court Sittings, the trio would continue to fight for their release through legal means.
EsinIslam.Com
Sign In Password