By Mamadou Dem Two foreign nationals were yesterday, 21st January, 2015 arraigned at the Banjul Magistrates Court and charged with a single count of‘Economic Crime’ contrary to Section 5 (f) of the Economic Crimes (specified offences) Act, laws of the Gambia. However, the accused persons could not take their pleas on the charge against them on the grounds that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Hadi Saleh Barkum, submitted to the court that it was his intention to arraign the accused persons on the charge but had agreed with counsel for the accused persons, Kebba Sanyang, to apply for an adjournment to today (Thursday). The DPP told the court that realised that the case file was not with him as well as the documents trying them summarily. He therefore applied for the accused persons to be put in custody pending the day of arraignment. Barrister Sanyang did not object to DPP’s application but appealed to the court for his clients to be put in the custody of the police. Principal Magistrate Dawda Jallow consequently ruled that based on the agreement made by the two counsels the matter was adjourned to today for arraignment. He added that both accused be kept in custody at Banjul Police Station. The case resumes today for mention and plea taking. Prosecution alleges that Xiong Jun and He Lisheng in the month of December 2014 at Kairaba Avenue in the Kanifing Municipality (K.M.C) within the jurisdiction of the court did commit an offence to wit: Caused economic loss to Gambia Telecommunication Company Limited (GAMTEL) in the sum of fifty thousand dalasis (D50,000) by installing a giant sim box with the view of diverting international calls from the Gamtel international gateway, which act is detrimental to the economy of the Gambia and thereby committed an offence.]]>
