By: Isatou Sarr
The Brusubi Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday transferred a rape case involving Famara Jobe to the High Court and ordered that the accused be remanded at Mile 2 Central Prison pending his appearance before the higher court.
Principal Magistrate M.S. Jallow made the order after the prosecution applied for the matter to be transferred on jurisdictional grounds.
Jobe was arraigned before the court on a single count of rape, contrary to Section 3(1) and punishable under Section 4(bb) of the Sexual Offences Act 2013.
Chief Inspector Kemo Y. Manneh appeared for the Inspector General of Police, while the accused appeared without legal representation.
According to the charge sheet, Jobe is alleged to have committed the offence on 9 June 2026 at Sinchu Alagie along the Coastal Road in Old Yundum, West Coast Region.
The prosecution alleged that the accused intentionally engaged in a sexual act with a 10-year-old girl under coercive circumstances.
Before the charge could be read and a plea taken, the prosecution applied for the case to be transferred to the High Court, arguing that the offence falls within the exclusive jurisdiction of that court.
In support of the application, the prosecution relied on Section 72 of the Criminal Procedure Act 2025 and Legal Notice No. 3 of 2009.
The prosecution further submitted that the offence carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and requested that the accused be remanded pending his appearance before the High Court.
Ruling on the application, Magistrate Jallow granted the request, transferred the matter to the High Court for trial and ordered that the accused remain in custody at Mile 2 Central Prison until his arraignment before the High Court.