Three Defendants Deny Involvement in Armed Robbery at United Vegetable Oil Company

Justice Cham

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Three men charged with armed robbery and related offenses appeared before Justice  Cham at the High Court in Banjul on Monday, where they entered pleas of not guilty to all charges brought against them by the state.

The accused—Ansumana Jarju, Abdoulie Jallow, and Losseni Diabate—are facing three criminal counts: conspiracy to commit a felony, robbery with violence, and disabling to commit a felony or misdemeanor. The charges stem from an alleged robbery that took place on December 31, 2024, at the United Vegetable Oil Company, located near Saro Denton Bridge in Banjul.

According to prosecutors, the three men conspired to rob the company and executed the crime by stealing 400,000 dalasis. The prosecution further alleges that the suspects restrained and gagged a security guard, Sadivi Hauya, to carry out the act and flee the scene undetected.

State Counsel Mballow appeared for the prosecution, while the first and second defendants were represented by Counsels Lamin J. Darboe and A. Jallow, respectively. The third defendant, Mr. Diabate, was unrepresented in court, as his counsel, E. Sanneh, was absent from the proceedings.

Despite the absence, Counsel Mballow invoked Section 240(5) of the Criminal Procedure Code, requesting that the pleas be taken without delay. The defense attorneys present did not object. However, Mr. Diabate raised concern over his counsel’s absence, suggesting it may have been due to a lack of prior notice.

Responding, Counsel Mballow emphasized that defense counsel are obligated to monitor the progress of criminal proceedings without relying on formal notifications. The court clerk confirmed that Counsel Sanneh had indeed been notified of the hearing.

Justice Cham subsequently ruled that the plea-taking would proceed. All three defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges read out in court.

Following the plea, the prosecution requested an adjournment under Section 226 of the Criminal Code to allow time to prepare their first witness. Counsel Mballow also moved for the accused to be remanded at the Mile 2 Central Prison pending trial. The defense raised no objections.

The court granted the request, and the case was adjourned to May 5 and May 6, with proceedings scheduled for 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m., respectively.