Joseph Wowo, former President of the Gambia Court of Appeal, was yesterday granted bail by the High Court in Banjul, presided over by Justice Emmanuel Nkea.

Mr. Wowo, who briefly headed the Judiciary of The Gambia, as acting Chief Justice, is standing trial on a one count criminal charge at the Banjul Magistrates' Court.

Wowo, is accused of writing a letter to the National Intelligence Agency stating that barrister Amie Bensouda, was conducting in a manner that was undermining the justice delivery system of The Gambia, by seeking data on pending cases, information he (Wowo) knew to be false.

The accused's bid for bail was rejected by the Banjul Magistrates' Court, presided over by Magistrate Dawda Jallow. However, lawyers for Mr. Wowo appealed against that decision and had their wishes met, when Justice Nkea, granted the applicant/accused bail on a bond of One Hundred Thousand Dalasis (D100,000) with one Gambian surety.

In his ruling on the bail application, the presiding judge stated that the offence with which Mr. Wowo is charged is punished by imprisonment of 6 months or a fine of D500 or both. He concurred with lawyers for Mr. Wowo that the offence charged, is a misdemeanor and also bailable.