A retired US army sergeant, Papa Faal, appeared before the Minneapolis federal court, while Alhagie Saidy Barrow, a U.S Special Forces operations specialist had his bail hearing at the court in St. Paul.
Both Faal and Barrow hold dual American and Gambian citizenship and are accused of violating the US Neutrality Act, which makes it criminal for a US citizen to stage a coup in a country that is not an ‘enemy’ to the US.
Although Papa Faal pleaded guilty at the last hearing, the court gave him a half-house bail and so was the court’s decision for Barrow. This means they will be kept in a ‘transition point’ and released to join their families once they fulfil the bail conditions, which include lack of access of internet.
Analysts said this measure is to ensure their safety, while preventing them from returning to the country to commit similar crimes.
Another American Gambian, Mr Cherno Njie, a Texas-based business tycoon is a co-accused in the case, but has not had his bail hearing yet. The estate developer is alleged to be the financier of the attack in the hope of serving as the interim leader had the attempted coup succeeded.
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