By Mama A. Touray
The criminal case involving four immigration officers and a boat owner on the Barra Capsized boat has failed to proceed on Tuesday, 6th July, 2021 as scheduled.
The immigration officers standing trial before the High Court in connection to the boat incident that claimed about 63 lives in Mauritania sea after capsizing while they were on their way to Europe included Sarjo Sanneh, Omar Bojang, Baboucar Gassama and Ansumana Touray and Ousman Bahoum who are standing trial before the high court in connection to the boat incident that claimed about 63 lives in Mauritania after capsizing while they were on their way to Europe through the high seas popularly called backway.
The accused Sarjo Sanneh, an immigration officer stationed at Barra in North Bank, Omar Bojang, the Officer Commanding the Barra Immigration Post, Baboucar Gassama and Ansumana Touray are all immigration officers facing prosecution on charges of official corruption, giving false information to a public servant and conspiracy to commit a felony. The other accused person was Ousman Bahoum, who is allegedly the vessel owner.
According to the indictment, a boat carrying 200 migrants left the Gambia shores at Jinack Village in Nuimi on the 27 of November, 2019 belonging to one Ousman Bahoum and it capsized in Mauritania.
Lawyer Abdul Aziz Saho sought for an adjournment to enable the remainder of his witnesses to come. The application for adjournment was objected by Lawyer Lamin K. Mboge saying it was not base on a genuine reason. The case was adjourned to Friday at 9am for the continuation of hearing.
On count 1, they are charged with Conspiracy to commit felony contrary to section 368 of the Criminal Code. According to the particulars of the offence, Sarjo Sanneh, Omar Bojang, Babucarr Gassama and Ansumana Touray on or about the 26th November 2019 at Barra Village while in course of their duties conspired among themselves to corruptly receive D75,000 (seventy-five thousand dalasis) from Ousman Bahoum through his agents for the release of his intercepted vessel purposely to convey migrants to Europe through the high seas.
Count 2, the four immigration officers were charged with Official Corruption contrary to section 86 (a) of the Criminal Code. According to the particulars of the offence, the four Immigration on the same day and year at Barra village while in the course of their duties corruptly received an amount of seventy-five thousand dalasis (D75,000) from Ousman Bahoum through his agents for the release of his intercepted vessel purposely to convey migrants to Europe via the high seas.
Count 3, Bahoum was charged with Official Corruption contrary to section 86 (a) of the Criminal Code. According to the particulars of the offence, Ousman Bahoum on or about the 26th November at Barra through his agents gave D70, 000 to immigration officers for the release of his vessel purposely to convey migrants to Europe via the high seas.
Count 4, Bahoum was charged with Conveying person by water for hire in unsafe or overloaded vessel contrary to section 225 of the Criminal Code. According to the particulars of the offence, Ousman Bahoum on the 27th November 2019 at Jinack village knowingly and/or negligently caused an overloaded vessel to convey 195 migrants via high seas which capsized and resulted in the death of 63 migrants and endangered the lives of other migrants.
Count 5, Bahoum was charged with rash or negligent act causing death contrary to section 221A of the Criminal Code. According to the particulars of the offence, Ousman Bahoum on or about the 27th November 2019 at Jinack village carelessly and/or recklessly overloaded a vessel with 195 migrants to convey them to Europe through the high seas which capsized and resulted in the death of 63 migrants.
On count 6, Sarjo Sanneh was charged with making false document contrary to section 320 (a) of the Criminal Code. According to the particulars of the offence, Sanneh on or about the 26th November 2019 while in the course of his duties purportedly made statement to his superiors to belief that a suspect, Ousman Bahoum is arrested in connection with an intercepted vessel about to leave shores to Europe via the high seas, which he knew was false.
On count 7, Sarjo Sanneh was charged with giving false information to public servant contrary to section 14 (a) of the Criminal Code. According to the particulars of the offence, Sanneh on or about the 26th November 2019 while in the course of his duties gave information to his superior Assistant Superintendent Binta K.J Barrow that a vessel about to leave Gambian shores to Europe via the high seas is intercepted and suspects are arrested which information he knew and believe to be false.
