“The fact that the three accused persons have consistently been in court every adjourned date without delay, I hereby grant the application to review the bail condition that the accused persons will no longer report at the Banjul Police Station weekly from today,” the magistrate said, adding that the state counsel, Mam Jobe has not given “genuine reason for the accused to continue reporting to the police weekly”.
He made this ruling after the lawyer for Tamsir Onassis Konteh, said the accused persons should be discharged from reporting at the police station weekly. “They have demonstrated their willingness to face the charges and they have constantly appeared in court despite ill-health of the 3rd accused [Waa Juwara]. That situation is redundant,” lawyer Sheriff Tambadou said before the court ruled that the accused persons stop reporting to the police station.
Mr Juwara, Hamidou Jallow, principal lands and evaluation officer, and one Tamsir Onassis Konteh are standing trial on eight counts of conspiracy to commit felony, obtaining money by false pretence, negligence of official duties, disobedience to lawful order, making false document, uttering false documents and abuse of office.
Mr Juwara is accused of committing a willful negligent act that caused plots of land to be allocated as compensation to Mr Konteh with knowledge that the said plots were already allocated to Kanilai Family Farms and Mr Basirou Sambou.
Tamsir Onasis Konteh is accused of making a document purported to be land title documents issued by the alkalo of Tanji village in order to claim compensation in respect of plots acquired for Tanji Residential Layout. Hamidou Jallow is accused of obtaining D300,000 from one Edward Sambou for a plot of land at Tanji Residential Layout with knowledge that the said plots were allocated to him under questionable circumstances. They pleaded not guilty.
Meanwhile, Saikou Sanyang, permanent secretary at the Ministry of Lands and Regional Government has ended his cross-examination by the lawyers. The state is expected to call their seventh witness when the case resumes on Wednesday.
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