By Amadou Jadama
Police prosecutors have filed a three-count charge of obtaining money totaling over seven million dalasi against one Gana Jeng, the chief executive officer of GMG Properties.
According to the charges filed before Principal Magistrate Muhammed Krubally of Brusubi court, the accused in 2019, at Brusubi, allegedly falsely pretended and with intent to defraud obtained an amount of D1, 1O9,000.000 from one Dr Seeku Jabbi on the pretext of selling a plot of land to him which he knew to be false at the time.
Count two alleged that Mr Jeng also obtained one million seven hundred and thirty thousand dalasi from one Mutalla Secka while count three alleged that the accused falsely pretended with intent to defraud obtained an amount five million two hundred and seventy-five thousand dalasi from one Imam Mohamed on the pretext of selling a plot of land to him in which he knew to be false.
The accused Gana Jeng denied the charges.
Prosecution officer ASP Bittaye did not object to the granting of bail to the accused person but urged the court to set stringent conditions that will ensure the appearance of the accused person in court.
The counsel for accused person S Akimbo, said he appreciated the position of the prosecution, in spite of the staggering sums of money disclosed in the charge sheet, adding that bail should be granted on reasonable terms, such that, the conditions do not amount to denial of bail.
“Count three is already a subject in the Brikama High Court. My client is a married man with family, and he has been on police bail for weeks and has never absconded. He has got no criminal records or conviction and if released on bail he will not interfere with investigations and I believe that investigations have been concluded,” the lawyer said. He added that the accusations are bailable under the 1997 Constitution.
Presiding Magistrate Krubally said since the prosecution did not object to the bail and the offences are bailable, he therefore granted the accused Mr Jeng, in the sum of eight million dalasi (D8,000.000) and ordered him to provide a responsible Gambian surety. Magistrate Krubally further ordered that the surety must provide a title deed worth eight million dalasi situated within the Greater Banjul Area or Kanifing Municipality, and must provide his or her original ID card or Passport.
