By Mamadou Dem
Attorneys for Alagie Abdoulie Ceesay, Manager of Taranga FM radio yesterday, August 10, intimated to
this paper that they have filed a bail application at the High Court in Banjul since on Thursday, August 6, demanding the release of their client on bail.
The defence had earlier urged the court to exercise the right of the accused as enshrined under sections 19 and 24, sub section 3 (A) of 1997 Constitution as well as section 99 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC). Mr. Ceesay was arraigned on the 4th August 2015 and charged with a single count of “Seditious intention contrary to section 51 (1) (d) of the Criminal Code, laws of The Gambia. He denied any wrong doing and was remanded in police custody and subsequently remanded at the Mile II central prison on the 5th August.
His lawyers, Combeh Gaye Coker and Segga Gaye, had earlier applied for bail at the lower court in Banjul but the presiding magistrate. Momodou M.S. Jallow, quashed the application and ruled that they can appeal the decision at the high court.
The trial magistrate, in his ruling, stated “bail application was made on behalf of the accused person. Although bail is avail for the offence charged and having considered both arguments, the court will exercise its discretion against the accused person to allow the investigations to complete. The fundamental right of the accused person is not in any way infringed in denial of bail.”
Consequently, the matter was adjourned to the 18th of this month for hearing.
Meanwhile, the defence intends to move the appeal on the bail before the end of this week.
Readers would recall that police prosecutors alleged that Alagie Abdoulie Ceesay on or about the 16th day of July, 2015 in Banjul and diverse places within the Republic of the Gambia, distributed pictures of president Yahya Jammeh to one Zainab Koneh and Fatou A Drammeh through his Africell mobile sim card showing a gun pointed at the president, with the intention to raise discontent, hatred or disaffection amongst the inhabitants of The Gambia and thereby committed an offence.]]>
