By Yankuba Jallow
Magistrate Hilary Abeke of the Kanifing Magistrates Court has ruled in the ongoing theft trial involving Babucarr Badjie, former finance officer of the associated Pre-Mix Oil Company that the court will write to the Director of Public Prosecution to assign a new prosecutor to handle the matter. The court made orders for the state to take over the case from the police prosecutor who, earlier claimed that he has been receiving death threats from people claiming to be Diaspora Gambians.
This ruling failed on two adjourned dates first by the Magistrate, who told the court on Monday, March 3, that his clerk is yet to be familiar with the process of producing him the files that are set for ruling or judgment and on Wednesday 5 April he fail to appear.
Badgie’s long lasting case has faced series of setbacks and adjournments.
Badjie is standing trial on one count of stealing D33M from his former employer, an allegation he denied at the onset of the trial. He has already spent a year and some months in remand due to the stiff bail condition of D35M which his family cannot fulfill.
