The accused persons are Mrs Ada Gaye, the former permanent secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture, Dr Abdou Ceesay, director of Department of Livestock Services, Mr Foday Jadama, deputy director of Soil and Water Management Services and Mr Fafanding Fatajo, the project coordinator and Mr Omar Jammeh, financial controller, both of Food and Agriculture Sector Development Project (Fasdep).
When the case resumed yesterday, the accused persons could not take their pleas as defence lawyers, Lamin Camara and Sheriff Tambadou, said they were not served with the bill of indictment.
The five agric officials were first arraigned at the Banjul Magistrates Court on October 14 on eight charges of economic crime, neglect of official duty, abuse of office and conspiracy to commit felony.
They all had pleaded not guilty. It is not clear whether the prosecutors have amended the charges, as efforts made to access the new bill of indictment from the prosecutor proved futile.
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