By Sainey Darboe, Editor-in-Chief:
As frustrations mount over the denial of bail to members of activists group ‘three years jotna’, Gunjuronline can reliably report that the presiding judge, Amina Saho-Ceesay, has a record of arrest and prosecution for corruption. The director of public prosecution later filed a “Nolle Prosequi” in the case and the accused were discharged after an executive pardon.
An article published by The Point newspaper on December 18, 2009 reported: “Justice Amina Saho-Ceesay being a civil servant was alleged to have embezzled an amount of D2, 000.000 (two million Dalasi) and US$1000 between 2005 to 2009.
Justice Amina Saho-Ceesay was first arraigned on 2nd December 2009 and subsequently remanded in custody. She again appeared on 3rd December 2009 when she was granted a court bail in the sum of D4m with three Gambian sureties, all of whom must have a landed property within the Greater Banjul Area. The bail condition further stipulated that she should be reporting to the court every Friday, and also ordered to deposit her travelling documents with the court,”. She was prosecuted alongside Justice Ngui Mboob Janneh, Justice Saffiatou Njie (said to be out of the jurisdiction), Haruna Jaiteh, ex-Judicial Secretary and Alhagie LS Sonko ex-bailiff of the high court, who stood trial on charges ranging from neglect of official duty, to stealing by public officer, aiding and abetting a public officer to steal, economic crime and forgery.
A member of the legal team for the accused persons who reached out to Gunjuronline on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on comments on an ongoing legal case said there are plans to put in an application for her recusal from the case owing to her corrupt antecedents.
“It’s only in The Gambia that a judge like her who has been allegedly involved in,arrested and prosecuted for theft of millions of Dalasi would continue to be on the bench.No wonder she was given the case as she can be counted on to rule in favor of the government each time.
If you would recall, she is the one who has been assigned the Gunjur environmentalists case against Chinese owned Golden Lead company and, true to form, she is delivering to her puppeteers. We will file an application for her to recuse herself from the case. We don’t think her continued handling of the case will advance the cause of law and justice”.
Comments