By Landing Ceesay
Seven Soldiers of the Gambia Armed Forces (GAF) who were accused of plotting a Coup on December 21st were brought before a Magistrate’s Court in Banjul earlier today and charged with criminal counts of Felony and Treason
The Gambia Government, on the 21st of December 2022, released a statement stating that based on intelligence reports gathered by the State Intelligence Services, some soldiers of the Gambia army were allegedly plotting to overthrow the democratically elected Government of President Adama Barrow.
The government disclosed in the statement that the Gambia Armed Forces (GAF) High Command in a swift military operation arrested four soldiers linked to the alleged coup plot.
In their subsequent updates on the alleged coup plot, the government announced that a total of seven soldiers were arrested and are helping them in their investigations and have since formed a panel to investigate the arrested soldiers.
Consequently, on the 6th of January 2023, the seven accused soldiers were arraigned before Magistrate Muhammad Krubally of the Banjul Magistrates Court and charged with criminal counts of felony and treason.
The charge sheet proffered against the accused are;
Count 1, Statement of Offense; Conspiracy to Commit Felony Contrary To Section 368 of the Criminal Code Cap 10:01 VOL III Revised Laws Of The Gambia 2009.
Particulars of Offense: the prosecutors alleged that Sanna Fadera, Gibril Darboe, Ebrima Sano, Ebrima Baldeh, Omar Colley, Baboucarr Njie, Barra Touray, and Lamin Jadama (at large) Sometime between the months of October and December 2022, within Banjul and diverse places of the Republic of the Gambia, conspired among themselves to prepare or endeavours to overthrow a democratically elected Government of President Adama Barrow, thereby committed an offence.
Count 2, Statement of Offense; Treason Contrary To Section 35 (1)(A) Of the Criminal Code Cap 10:01 VOL I Revised Laws of the Gambia 2009.
Particulars of Offense; the prosecutors alleged that Sanna Fadera, Gibril Darboe, Ebrima Sano, Ebrima Baldeh, Omar Colley, BaboucarrNjie (B), Mbara Touray and Lamin Jadama (at large) Sometime between the months of October and December 2022, within Banjul and diverse places of the Republic of the Gambia, prepare or endeavours to overthrow the democratically elected Government of President Adama Barrow by unlawful means, thereby committed an offence.
The accused persons all pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Upon their not-guilty pleas, the prosecution applied for the matter to be transferred to the High Court and for accused persons to be remanded at mile 2 central prison since the Magistrates Court does not have the jurisdiction to hear capital offenses.
Magistrate Krubally granted the application and transferred the matter to the Special Criminal Division of the High Court of the Gambia.