By Baba Sillah
Justice Simone Abi of the High Court annex at the Magistrate Court in Banjul has revoked Demba Sowe’s bail for his failure to appear before the court on several occasions.
Demab Sowe is the National Assembly Member for Niamina West of the opposition Gambia Democratic Congress.
State prosecutors have been trying Sowe with six others since 2015 on charges of conspiracy.
He was earlier granted bail but since then, neither him nor his sureties appeared before the court to answer to the allegation against him.
The judge also made an order for the Inspector General of Police to make sure he appears before the court on the next adjourned date.
The defendant, Demba Sowe is being tried along with Oumie Saffiatou Jallow, Ebrima Kebbeh, Sheikh Dawda York, Demba Sowe, Alpha Kanteh and Kemo Fatty for allegedly conspiring among themselves to deceive Mr Muhammed Tunkara, a Gambian based in the UK and his partner by collecting the sum of US$161,000 equivalent to D6, 273, 000 on the pretext that they were going to sell 50kg of gold valued at US$1.5 million to them, charges they denied.
When the case resumed Tuesday for hearing, neither Mr Sowe nor his sureties were in court which prompted the trial judge to revoke his bail.
Mr Sowe has earlier told The Standard that he has never appeared before any court when contacted and vowed to clear his name when the case resumed any time while describing the allegation as “a plot against him by his political opponents”.
The state was represented Mariama Singhateh.
The case resumes 15 February for hearing.
