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Gambia News : Judgment On Chief Manneh's Case Deferred

The Community Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States(ECOWAS) has adjourned the case of Chief Ebrima Manneh of Daily Observernewspaper, till March 13, 2008, according to a press release issued by theMedia Foundation of West Africa yesterday. Judgment on the case was scheduledfor yesterday, 31 January, 2007.

The adjournment is to enable the court to summon the two personnel of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), who allegedly arrested Manneh on July 7, 2006 at the Daily Observer premises, totestify. On November 26, 2007, a witness told the court that he witnessed the arrest of the journalist by the 2 officers.

The court also said it needed time to translate new evidence it had received from Manneh's counsel into the French language.

Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) is asking the sub-regional court to compel the government of President Yahya Jammeh to produce Manneh and to answer for his arrest and subsequent disappearance.

The government has denied arresting Manneh. The government has consistently failed to appear before the court.

Manneh had"disappeared" since July 2006.

The MFWA is a regional independent, non-profit, non-governmental organization based in Accra. It was founded in 1997 to defend and promote the rights and freedom of the media and all forms ofexpression.