By Bruce Asemota
Justice Ebrima Jaiteh of the High Court in Banjul has ordered Marina International School to file a written brief of arguments in the civil suit filed by one Kinneh Sillah-Senghore, mother of one Alhagie Sankung Sillah, a student of Marina International School against the school.
In an affidavit in support of the summons Mrs Sillah-Senghore, a businesswoman resident in Bijilo, said her son Alhagie Sankung Sillah is the last son of the late Alhaji Sankung Sillah, former proprietor of Alhaji Sankung Sillah & Sons Limited.
The affidavit stated that Alhagie Sankung Sillah’s siblings attended and finished from Marina International School without exception and before his demise, Alhaji Sankung Sillah had a very good relationship with the school and contributed greatly to its development.
She stated that her son was suspended and later expelled from the school on allegations of dangerous, reckless driving, spinning of tyres and air-blowing a lot of dust, as well as making derogatory gestures at the then school headmaster, William Arthur.
She denied these in her affidavit and said the vehicle did not belong to her son or anybody she knows or her son knows.
She stated that allegations against her son were false and that her son never drove in the school premises and never made any gesture at anybody.
Her affidavit further disclosed that her son was suspended and expelled by Marina International School without giving him an opportunity to be heard in his defence before being punished on the basis of the said allegations.
She noted that her son’s expulsion was in the middle of the second term in the 2018/2019 academic year and it was virtually impossible for her son to be able to secure admission to another school which caused disruption to his education and could potentially damage his future.
After the reported incident, Mrs Sillah-Senghore went to the high court to seek an interim order to allow young Alhagie Sankung Sillah continue with his course at the school pending the hearing and determination of the suit proper.
But the school’s lawyer, Borry Touray filed a motion and the court issued a hearing notice to him to move his motion but he failed to appear before the court and no reason was given to excuse his absence in court.
Lawyer CE Mene, lawyer for the aggrieved mother applied to the court to strike out Touray’s motion on the grounds that he was not serious in pursuing his application.
The court consequently struck out Touray’s application for lack of diligent prosecution.
The presiding judge, Ebrima Jaiteh, yesterday ordered the parties to file their written briefs on the main suit. Lawyer Mene was given seven days to file his briefand Lawyer Touray was given 14 days from the date of receipt of Mene’s briefs to file his brief of argument Mene was given another three days to file his reply on points of law. The matter was adjourned to 14th March for adoption of briefs.
