By: Sering Mass Jallow
The Kanifing Magistrates Court presided over by His Worship Thomas Touray, Wednesday, 27 August 2025, granted bail to 23 protesters.
The protesters were remanded in connection with an alleged unlawful protest outside the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) offices over a recent hike in mobile data prices.
The accused were initially arraigned on Monday, 25 August 2025, facing charges of holding a procession and unlawful assembly, contrary to Section 5(5) of the Public Offenses Act, Cap 20:01 Vol 4, Revised Laws of The Gambia, 2009.
During Wednesday’s proceedings, the defense, led by Senior Counsel Lamin J. Darboe, requested the court to bring forward the bail hearing from 4 September 2025 to 27 August 2025. The motion was filed to expedite the ruling on bail applications for all the accused. After hearing submissions from both the defense and prosecution, the court noted that the offense was bailable but emphasized that bail decisions were guided by the circumstances of each case and the provisions of the law.
The court outlined key factors considered in exercising discretion over bail, including the seriousness of the offense, the gravity of potential punishment, the likelihood of interference with investigations, flight risk, risk of reoffending, and the safety of the accused. Magistrate Touray also stressed that the accused were presumed innocent until proven guilty, in line with the constitutional presumption of innocence.
In his ruling, Magistrate Touray granted bail to each of the 23 accused persons in the sum of D50,000 (Fifty Thousand Dalasis) or with one Gambian surety of equivalent value. Sureties are required to submit an affidavit of means and deposit a valid Gambian biometric passport or identity card with the court registrar. Additionally, all accused persons are required to enter into a self-recognizance to maintain peace and good behaviour pending the outcome of the case. Failure to comply with these conditions could result in the revocation of bail.
