By Cecilia E.L. Mendy
The Banjul High Court, presided over by Justice Ebrima Jaiteh, on Tuesday acquitted and discharged former military officer Abdoulie Sanyang of charges of arson and interference with judicial proceedings.
State counsel S.L. Jobarteh represented the prosecution, while F. Bondi appeared for the defence.
Sanyang had been accused of unlawfully setting fire to the APRC Bureau in Kanifing and making public statements during a live radio programme that allegedly interfered with ongoing court proceedings.
The trial, which commenced on 7 October 2025, featured testimony from seven witnesses and the tendering of nine exhibits by the prosecution.
Among the witnesses was police officer Omar Touray, who testified that he was on duty at the APRC Bureau on the night of the incident in August 2016. He told the court that three masked men arrived in a vehicle, overpowered him, restrained his hands and legs, and set the building ablaze. However, the witness stated that he could not identify any of the attackers.
The prosecution argued that statements attributed to Sanyang, including a cautionary interview and remarks made during a radio broadcast, linked him to both the arson and the alleged interference with judicial proceedings. The State submitted that the accused had acted in breach of Sections 23 and 24 of the Criminal Code as well as Section 99(1)(d)(i) of the relevant law, and urged the court to return a conviction.
The defence countered that the prosecution failed to establish the case beyond reasonable doubt, citing the absence of corroborative evidence such as financial records, communications, or eyewitness testimony directly linking the accused to the offence. Defence counsel further argued that Sanyang’s radio comments constituted fair comment protected under constitutional guarantees of freedom of expression.
In his judgment, Justice Jaiteh held that although the arson of the APRC Bureau had been established, the prosecution failed to prove Sanyang’s criminal liability. The court noted that the alleged admissions were later retracted and were unsupported by independent evidence. The judge also found that the State had not demonstrated that the accused’s public statements amounted to interference with judicial proceedings.
The court consequently acquitted and discharged Abdoulie Sanyang on both counts.