The six Gambians Hamidou Savage, Abdou Camara, Ousman Sowe, Mansa Bah, Sheikh Dawda York, Kemo Fatty and two Guineans, Alpha Kante and Oumie Saffiatou Diallo, were arraigned on three counts of conspiracy to defraud, obtaining money by false pretence and economic crime in January at the Banjul High Court.
They are accused of conspiring among themselves to deceive Mr Abdoulie Bittaye and his partner by collecting D7, 465, 000 on the pretext that they were going to sell 50 kilos of gold which they knew was false.
They are also accused of intentionally causing economic loss to The Gambia government by declaring only D41, 475, 000 to the Gambia Revenue Authority, instead of D59, 250, 000, causing economic loss of D1, 777, 500.
The accused denied the charges. One of the defence lawyers, Sheriff Tambadou, applied for bail on behalf of the accused. “I have instructions from the accused persons that they will provide sureties to secure and guarantee them for their appearance to face trial. They intend to face the trial and clear their name[s],” he said.
The state prosecutor, Mrs Adeyami, raised objections, arguing that the lawyer could not make oral submission for bail.
However, her objection was overruled by the judge Simon Abi after Lawyer Tambadou argued that a formal application would have been necessary if the accused had been held in custody.
The judge is set rule whether to grant the accused bail when the case resumes today.
Meanwhile all the accused mentioned in the above case, except two are facing similar but separate trial at Banjul High Court over a 6 million-dalasi scam. Originally arraigned before the Kanifing Magistrates Court four months ago, the Gambians Sheikh Dawda York, Ebrima Kebbeh, Demba Sowe, Kemo Fatty and the Guineans Alpha Kante and Oumie Saffiatou Diallo, are charged with four counts of conspiracy to defraud, obtaining money by false pretence, forgery and cheating.
They are accused of conspiring among themselves to deceive Mr Muhammed Tunkara, a Gambian based in the UK and his partner by collecting US$161,000 equivalent to D6, 273,000 on the pretext that they were going to sell 50 kilos of gold valued at US$1.5 million to them.
They are further accused of making a false document of 50 kilo grams of gold dust from Guinea Conakry, a document they knew was false.
The marabout and his co-accused are yet to react to the charges. The case has been scheduled for plea taking on April 21.
The accused were first arraigned at the Kanifing Magistrates Court in May 2014.
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