By Kebba Jeffang Eleven accused, including two village heads (Alkalo) and a single woman failed to take their plea when they appeared before the Brikama Magistrates’ Court yesterday Thursday, February 05, 2015.The trial magistrate stated that the defence lawyer, Mr Borry S Touray, could not come and had called to ask for an adjournment which was granted. The police prosecutor, Chief Inspector Fadera, informed the court that there is a new additional charge for Mr. Malick Camara, the Alkalo of Banyaka accusing him of failing to confirm the purported ownership of President Jammeh’s land and transferring it to others. He said the Alkalo has been charged with ‘neglect of official duties contrary to Section 113 of Criminal Code, Cap 10:01, Vol 3, Laws of The Gambia, revised edition 2009. According to the particulars of offence on the said additional charge, the accused person Malick Camara, on or about the year 2010 to 2014 at Kunkujang Mariama and Tujereng villages, Kombo South, West Coast Region in the Republic of the Gambia, while serving as Alkalo of Banyaka, neglected his duty by failing to confirm ownership of a land belonging to President Yahya Jammeh and transferred the said plot of land to Michel Jatta, Tapha Kanyi and Pierre Njai respectively, thereby committed an offence. The accused will take their pleas at the next proceedings. The rest of the accused persons, Ousman Touray, Ousman Bojang, Karamo Touray, Malick Camara, Edrisa Touray, Satou Silameh, Momodou Bajo, Momodou Fatty, Muhammed Lamin Jabang, Kutubo Fatty and Yankuba Jabang were jointly charged with Felony and Misdemeanor. According to the particulars of offence of count one, all the accused persons on or about the year 2010 to 2014 in Tujereng, Sambouya, Sanyang, Gunjur, Tintinto and Mariama Kunda respectively, in Kombo South and West Coast Region jointly conspired amongst themselves to commit a misdemeanor to wit obtaining money by false pretence. Count two states that all the accused persons at the same time and places with intent to defraud, obtained an amount of money over one million Dalasis from Global Properties from Michael Jatta and some other people with the pretext that they have lands to allocate them and knowing and believing that the said representation is false and untrue.]]>
