FOROYAA Newspaper (Serrekunda)
Fabakary B. Ceesay
16 April 2008
Magistrate Kayode Olagubutu of the Banjul Magistrates' Court is expected to deliver judgment today on the criminal trial of the nine MFDC rebels who are standing trial before him. The nine MFDC rebels may know their fate today, 16 April.
During the trial, the prosecution called four witnesses to prove their case. The witnesses include police officers and an independent witness who testified that the accused persons' statements were voluntarily given by the accused persons; that they were not forced or induced to make their statements.
Almost all the nine accused person testified before the court that they were forced to make their statements through torture and inducement from the security agents. Some also denied that there was an independent witness present when they made their statements. They denied most of the facts adduced by the prosecution against them, but were unable to call in any witnesses to back their defence. They pleaded guilty to the count of unlawfully possessing a Gambian national document.
The nine MFDC rebels, namely, Sidat Jarju, Ebrima Colley, Nuha Jammeh, Lamin Tew Sambou, Ansumana Jarju Tamsir Badjie, Joseph Jatta, Abdou Salam Jammeh and Wuyeh Jarju, are standing trial on four different charges.
All the nine accused persons are without legal representation. .The state is represented by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr. Emmanuel O. Fagbenle.
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