By Buba Gagigo
The Director General of the Drug Law Enforcement Agency of The Gambia (DLEAG), Demba Ceesay, has confirmed that his agency arraigned 207 individuals for drug-related crimes in 2024.
“Between January and the 30th of June, my prosecution division arraigned Seven people (in six months) in court. When I look at the statistics just after I came, between July 1st and December 31st, they arraigned 130 people. Just because we have mapped out a strategy of trying to fast track some of these cases, knowing very well that everybody you arrested is still presumed innocent until proven guilty,” the DLEAG Director General said.
He emphasized that one of his first actions upon appointment in July was to engage the prosecution division to expedite case processing.
“Because, for example, within 72 hours you have to either charge them or let them go. Some of these accused, to charge you when they are arraigned, are not able to meet the bail condition. If they are not able to meet the bail condition, because that is from the act, there’s no way the prosecutor can change that one. It’s just like, if you go to the magistrate court, they have the act, or the CPC, to follow. They cannot go outside that. Where they are able to meet their bail bond, we always try to make sure that they are arraigned,” the DLEAG DG said.
Demba Ceesay made these remarks during an interview with West Coast Radio on Thursday.
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