Gambia : No Case To Answer Submissions In Treason Trial
Feb 21,2007 00:00
by
Anna
In the on-going treason trial involving ten soldiers accused of taking part in last year’s March 21st coup attempt against President Yahya Jammeh’s government, several of the accused have filed in written submissions of “no case to answer.” Lawyer Neneh Cham-Chongan, the defense counsel for the 9th and 10th accused persons, Lance Corporal Babou Janha and Private Alhagie Nying respectively, on Saturday, 17th February, filed a written submission of no case before the general court martial for her clients.
A trial-within-a-trial had previously rejected Private Alhagie Nying’s cautionary statement while also establishing L/Cpl Babou Janha’s statement was never signed by an independent witness.
Etching towards similar move the counsels for the other accused persons have said they would not put up their clients on the witness box. Lawyer Lamin Camara, the defense counsel for the 1st, 5th and 7th accused persons, Capt. Bunja Darboe, Capt. Abdoukarim Jah and Lt. Momodou Alieu Bah respectively, informed the court martial that he is not going to put his clients in the witness box nor would he address the court on the evidence before it.
For his part, Lawyer Lamin Jobarteh, defense counsel for the 3rd accused person, Capt. Wassa Camara also told the court martial that there is the likelihood that he too would not put his client in the witness box, adding that he would advise himself accordingly.
Lawyer LK Mboge, defense counsel for the 4th and 8th accused persons, 2nd Lt. Pharing Sanyang and Corporal Samba Bah respectively, was absent from court, but sources say he would take a similar position. The state prosecution, led by the Director of Public Prosecution, Emmanuel Fagbenle, also filed a yet to be disclosed written submission before the court martial responding to the defense counsels’ submissions.
A trial-within-a-trial had previously rejected Private Alhagie Nying’s cautionary statement while also establishing L/Cpl Babou Janha’s statement was never signed by an independent witness.
Etching towards similar move the counsels for the other accused persons have said they would not put up their clients on the witness box. Lawyer Lamin Camara, the defense counsel for the 1st, 5th and 7th accused persons, Capt. Bunja Darboe, Capt. Abdoukarim Jah and Lt. Momodou Alieu Bah respectively, informed the court martial that he is not going to put his clients in the witness box nor would he address the court on the evidence before it.
For his part, Lawyer Lamin Jobarteh, defense counsel for the 3rd accused person, Capt. Wassa Camara also told the court martial that there is the likelihood that he too would not put his client in the witness box, adding that he would advise himself accordingly.
Lawyer LK Mboge, defense counsel for the 4th and 8th accused persons, 2nd Lt. Pharing Sanyang and Corporal Samba Bah respectively, was absent from court, but sources say he would take a similar position. The state prosecution, led by the Director of Public Prosecution, Emmanuel Fagbenle, also filed a yet to be disclosed written submission before the court martial responding to the defense counsels’ submissions.