Journalists’ Case Stalls Due to Ill-Health of Defence Counsel

By Kebba Jeffang The trial of Journalists Musa Sheriff, the editor in Chief of The Voice and Sainey M.K Marenah, a reporter at The Standard, at the Banjul Magistrates’ Court could not proceed yesterday 2^nd October, 2014 due to the absence of the defence counsel who is said to be sick.  The two are facing criminal charges including publication of false news before Magistrate Jacklin Nixon Hakim. When the case was called, police prosecutor A.S.P Musa Camara announced his appearance for the state. At this juncture, the Court Clerk informed the court that he has received information from defence Lawyer, Lamin S. Camara, that he is sick and was heading to the hospital. He said the counsel informed him that he is seeking for adjournment. There was no objection from the prosecutor on this application. The trial Magistrate then adjourned the case till 8^th October, 2014 for the police prosecutor to reply on the “no case to answer submission” filed by the defence earlier. Sainey M.K. Marena and Musa Sheriff are accused on count one that on 6 December, 2013, in Banjul and diverse places, they conspired to cause misdemeanor among themselves to publish on the Voice Newspaper medium caption: “19 Green Youths Join the opposition UDP” dated 6 December 2013, and thereby committed an offence. On count two, the two journalists were accused that on aforementioned date, month and places, whilst employed as Editor-in-chief and reporter respectively at the Voice Newspaper medium, they made a publication with the caption: “19 Green Youths Join the opposition UDP” dated 6 December 2013, Vol 6 No 117 ISSN; 07961308, knowing or having reason to believe that the said publication was likely to cause fear to the public or disturb the public peace, and thereby committed an offence.  ]]>