By Arfang M.S. Camara
Court adjourns bail hearing for Three Years Jotna 8
Justice Amina Saho Ceesay of the High Court in Banjul Tuesday adjourned the bail hearing for the eight Three Years Jotna protesters.
The eight: Abdou Njie, Ebrima Kitim Jarju, Sheriffo Sonko, Hagi Suwaneh, Fanta Mballow, Karim Touray, Yankuba Darboe and Muctarr Ceesay were last week arrested and charged with various crimes over January 26 protest calling on President Adama Barrow to step down.
Prior to adjourning the case, the state prosecutor Patrick Gomez submitted that the case was from the lower court. He argued that the state just received the case file from the office of the Inspector General of Police.
He asked the court to adjourn the case to enable the state to review the ‘bulky’ file.
Contest the state’s argument, Rachael Y. Mendy, the lead defence counsel argued that there was nothing before the court warranting for an adjournment, highlighting the rights of the accused persons to liberty. She urged the court to grant them bail.
She submitted that the accused persons have been in custody since the 26th of January 2020, citing section 24 of the 1997 Constitution to avail them fair trial.
The trial judge adjourned the case to Thursday 6 February, at 12.30 for ruling.