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Gambia News : Lawyers for seven indicted Gambian journalists object to 'invalid' and 'defective' charges

Led by veteran Gambian lawyer Antouman Gaye, the team, apearing before Justice Joseph Wowo of the High Court in Banjul, argued that no authority was given from the office of the Attorney General in relation to the charges of sedition and defamation and further stated that charges 2 and 3 are not offences known to the laws of The Gambia.

Lawyer Gaye further argued on the point of duplicity of charges referring to the charges of conspiracy to seditious publication and seditious publication and conspiracy to defame and defaming.

On charges 4 and 5, Lawyer Gaye told the court that the so called defamatory remarks are not included in the charge sheet.

The prosecution team, led by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Richard Chenge asked for an adjournment to prepare their response.

Justice Wowo, presiding over the matter adjourned the case to Friday, for prosecution response.

Amongst observers in the crowded court room were the United States ambassador to The Gambia, Barry Wells, a representative of the UK High Commissioner and a lawyer from the International Bar Association.

The seven journalists on trial are Sarata Jabbi-Dibba, Emil Touray and Pa Modou Faal of the Gambia Press Union executive, Pap Saine and Ebrima Sawaneh of The Point newspaper and Sam Sarr and Abubacarr Saidykhan of the Foroyaa newspaper.

They are all charged with ’Conspiracy to publish seditious publication contrary to Section 368 of the Criminal Code, Publishing Seditious Publication Contrary to Section 51 (1) (a) read together with section 52 (1) (c) of the Criminal Code, Publishing Seditious Publication Contrary to Section 51 (1) (a) read together with section 52 (1) (c) of the Criminal Code, Conspiracy to commit Criminal Defamation contrary to Section 368 of the Criminal Code and Criminal Defamation contrary to Section 178 and punishable by Section 34 of the Criminal Code’.

The presiding judge will give his ruling on the arguements on Friday, after which the seven will be required to plea to the charges.