By Rohey Jadama
Lamin Fatajo, former Project Coordinator of the former Rural Finance Project, 
Muhammed Lamin Mass, acting Finance and Administrative Manager of the same project, and Madam Ada Gaye, Permanent Secretary of the ministry of Agriculture , were granted bail on Wednesday, 1st April , 2015 by Justice Simeon Abi of the Banjul High Court.
The state was represented by A.M. Yusuf while Lawyer Sheriff S.M. Tambadou, who is representing the third accused persons, also announced his holding of brief for Lawyer Borry S. Touray, the counsel for the first and second accused persons respectively.
Mr. Fatajo, the first accused, was granted bail in the sum of D500, 000 and ordered to produce one Gambian surety in the like sum, while the Mr. Mass and Madam Gaye, the second and third accused persons, were granted bail in the sums of D1,000,000 and D700,000 and asked to each provide Gambian sureties in the like sum.
The trial judge added that each surety shall deposit with the Principal Registrar of the high court a recognised document of title to a landed property of value of not less than the sum of the recognizance with a valuation report on such a property.
The bail condition further states that the Principal Registrar shall verify the documents of title and valuation reports before the applicants are released on bail. Each surety may deposit with the Principal Registrar, the cash equivalent of the recognizance entered into on behalf of the accused they stand for surety for. In case of any cash deposit, the Principal Registrar shall put the deposit in an interest yielding account pending the hearing and determination of the case.
It also indicated that each accused person shall deposit with the Principal Registrar of the high court their Gambian passport and any other travel documents they possess pending the hearing and determination of the case against them.
Counsel Tambadou informed the court that the travelling documents of the accused persons are with the fraud squad unit of the police force.
The trial judge, in response, told the defence that he will write a notice to the officer in charge of the fraud squad to submit the applicants travelling documents to the court.
The case is adjourned to 15th of April, 2015 at 12 noon for hearing.
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