By Amadou Jadama
A prominent surrogate of President Adama Barrow’s National People’s Party has ran into trouble with the law for assaulting his wife Amie Baldeh causing her actual bodily harm.
Ousainou Bai Sankareh appeared at the Brikama Magistrates’ Court before the Principal Magistrate Isatou Darboe.
Mr Sankareh is charged with a single count of assault. He is accused of beating her with an iron rod.
According to the bill of indictment filed by the police prosecutor Sub-Inspector Bobo Jarju, on January 14th, 2021, Sankareh assaulted his wife Amie Baldeh by beating her with an iron rod all over her body causing her injuries at their home in Farato village.
Taking his plea at the court yesterday morning, Mr Sankareh denied any wrong doing, saying, “I did not beat her [Amie]”.
Hearing was rescheduled to 24th February. However, Prosecuting Officer Jarju urged the court not to grant Sankareh bail as he posed a physical threat to his wife. “My fear is that if granted bail, they may clash again, though the offence he is charged with is bailable.”
But the magistrate overruled the prosecution’s application and granted Sankareh bail in the sum of D150,000 with two Gambian sureties. She ordered that the accused person should refrain himself from coming into contact with the wife in any circumstances. He further ordered that he shall at all times keep a distance of 10 metres away from her, and avoid having contact with her friends or relatives.
Magistrate Darboe told Sankareh that if he violated the order, she will revoke his bail.
The trial magistrate also warned the complainant not to provoke the accused person.
Police prosecutor made an application to the court, for the accused to return the victim’s two mobile phones. The magistrate told the accused to return them but Mr Sankareh refused, saying that “I was in Europe and I bought these mobiles for her for D75,000 so that we can communicate. I didn’t buy them for her to call her boyfriends, and that is why I seized it from her, and I am not going to return them to her.”
