By Fatou Sowe
Lawyer for arraigned French-Gambian Sedia Bayo, yesterday asked the high to return his client’s passport to him.
Lawyer CE Mene told Justice Buba Jawo of the Banjul High Court that there was no need to keep Bayo’s passport since he has provided sufficient security for the judgment sum asked by the court.
He said the summons was not meant to turn Bayo into a destitute in the country and that he was not gainfully employed in The Gambia and he has to travel in and out of the country as a result of his close collaboration with the Office of the President by bringing investors into the country.
He said the release of Bayo’s passport will assist him to expedite bringing his bank statement in France which the court requested as he could not make the transaction while in The Gambia.
He said two properties worth more than the judgment sum have already been put as security and that there was no need to keep his passport, which restricts his movement outside the country and inhibits his survival as he is unemployed in the country.
Mene further applied for an adjournment in order for him to familiarise himself with what had transpired in the matter.
In response, Lawyer Aziz Bensouda said he had no objection to the applications made by Lawyer Mene and that he would go by the court’s decision on the matter.
Justice Jawo then ordered Mene to formally present an application for the release of his client’s passport. He adjourned the matter to 23 January 2018 to give the lawyer opportunity to familiarise himself with the case.
