FOROYAA Newspaper (Serrekunda)
Fabakary B. Ceesay
10 July 2009
The late arrival of the exhibits that were tendered in court in the protracted "treason and murder" case involving the state and Mr. Abdoulie Sonko, who is standing trial on treason and murder charges at the Banjul High Court, on Wednesday 8th July could not proceed before Justice Joseph Wowo, due to the late arrival of the exhibits to the defence counsel.
When the matter was called, defence counsel Lamin S. Camara, asked for a short adjournment due to the fact that the exhibits that he asked for to prepare for his defence were served to him lately. He told the court that he needs time to study them properly before putting his client in the box to open his defence. The state counsel Mrs. Marley Wood did not object and Justice Wowo adjourned the hearing to 29th July for the accused person to enter his defence.
It could be recalled that on Tuesday 23rd June, the case was adjourned to 8th July, for the hearing of the case due to unavailability of the demanded exhibits by the defence. Defence counsel Camara told the court that he got some exhibits but not all that were tendered during the course of trial presided over by different judges. On that day the accused person told the court that he was first tried at the Banjul Magistrates' Court. He said the case was later moved to the High Court before Justice M.A Paul, Tahir, Yamoa (Ageyemang), Monageng and now Justice Wowo respectively.
The case was adjourned for the court clerk to provide the defence with all the exhibits that were tendered in court in the case.
Mr. Abdoulie Sonko, a native of Niumi Berending is standing trial on one count of treason and six counts of murder. This was as a result of his alleged involvement in the armed attack on the Farafenni Military Barracks in November 1996, where six (6) soldiers were killed. Sonko was said to have escaped to Liberia and later came back and was arrested and charged with the said offences. He was being defended by Lawyer Ousainou Darboe, who later pulled out of the case due to a push and pull with the then presiding judge, M.A Paul. Lawyer Mai M.K Fatty took over the case until he left the jurisdiction for medical treatment abroad. The matter became stagnant until Lamin S. Camara took over the matter.
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