3 suspects plead not guilty in court

By Sainabou Sambou

Yaya Badjie, Sanna Janneh and Lamin Badjie, who were charged with felony, stealing, malicious injuries to accessories, have pleaded not guilty before the law Court, as they appeared before Magistrate Mbem Faal of the Kanifing Magistrate Court yesterday.

Sub- Inspector, Jammeh told the court not to grant one of the accused, Yaya Badjie,  bail as he is not a first-time offender who was (in past) remanded and sentenced.

“I fear when the first accused Yaya Badjie is giving a bail he might ran away and he is going to do the same offense in the society and society needs protection, the amount involved in the matter is huge and only few recoveries have been made,” he told the court.

He also urged the court to used its powers to refuse a bail for two of the suspects, Sanna Janneh and Lamin Badjie.

However, Yaya Badjie told the court to grant him bail telling the court that he will not run away if he is granted bail, adding that he is the breadwinner of his family.

“I am an Arabic student at Omar Quraysh located at Westfield. I promise the court that if I’m given bail I would not run away and if I do so the court can revoke my bail,” he told the court.

Meanwhile, the presiding Magistrate Mbem Faal asked the prosecutor to provide the court evidence which shows that the accused is not a first-time offender and has been sentenced to jail in Mile 2 twice, while she said the accused should bring an acceptance letter from Omar Quraysh Arabic school which should indicate that he is a student from the school.

However, Magistrate Faal granted bail to the second and third accused, Sanna Janneh, at a sum of five hundred thousand dalasis with two Gambian sureties who should pay two hundred thousand dalasis each to the court registerer and deposit their ID card and swear to affidavit of means.

 Lamin Badjie also was given a bail at a sum of fifty thousand dalasis with one Gambian surety who should deposit his or her ID card to the court registrar and swear as an affidavit of means. The presiding Magistrate told the court that she gives bail to the accused person based on the crime they commit.

Yaya Badjie was denied while the case was adjourned to today, 26th January 2022.

Yaya Badjie, a youth, crided in court when the case was adjourned the same to his family members who were in court also cried for the denial of their son of a bail. 

According to count one of their particulars of offense, Sanna Janneh and Lamin Badjie did on the 16th January 2022 at Bakoteh in the Kanifing Municipality jointly conspired to commit felony to wit stealing. Count two of their offense stated that on the same day and at the same place they conspired among themselves and stole cash amount of eight thousand six hundred Euros, equivalent to five hundred and seven thousand four hundred dalasis from the sale of Kujeje Jagana.

According to count three of their particulars of offense, they did on the 16th January 2022 at Bakoteh wilfully and unlawfully damaged the save of Kujeje Jagana valued at fifteen thousand dalasis and count four of their particulars of offense Yaya Badjie on the same day and at the same place assisted Sanna Janneh and Lamin Badjie in damaging the save of Kujeje Jagana knowing fully that they are guilty of the offense.