By Yankuba Jallow
The sedition trial of Lawyer Yankuba Darboe of the United Democratic Party (UDP) has suffered a setback after the trial magistrate.
On Wednesday, the case was scheduled to come at 10 am but trial magistrate S. Jobarteh was not absent. According to the information Foroyaa gathered, she went to attend a capacity building workshop.
Darboe came to the court with his lawyer, but they were told the case couldn’t proceed.
Darboe is standing trial on two criminal counts; Sedition and Prohibition of Conduct Conducive to the Breach of the Peace Conduct. He pleaded not guilty to the charges as alleged.
On count 1, he was charged with Sedition contrary to section 52 (1) (b) of the Criminal Code. According to the particulars of the offence, Yankuba Darboe on or about the 10th February 2021 at the Serious Crime Office in the city of Banjul, with seditious intention uttered seditious words against the President and the administration of Justice in The Gambia when he stated “We will not go to any fucking court on this case anymore, if they want, let them take us to Mile II and we will remain there until sanity comes back to this country, Barrow is a stupid and clueless Dictator” – an act that is calculated to bring into hatred, contempt or disaffection against the person of the President of The Republic of The Gambia.
On the second and final count, Darboe is charged with Prohibition of Conduct Conducive to the Breach of the Peace contrary to section 9 of the Public Order Act. According to the particulars of offence, Yankuba Darboe, on or about the 10th February 2021 at the Serious Crime Office in the city of Banjul of The Republic of The Gambia, whilst in a public place, uses insulting and abusive language against the judicial system of The Gambia making utterances that “If they want, they can go to their Kangaroo courts and decide our fate with their son of a bitch Judges, bastard judges, we will not accept their nonsense again and we will never go to no fucking court.”
The alleged seditious video featuring Lawyer Yankuba Darboe was on Tuesday, 23rd March 2021 played before the Banjul Magistrates Court. It was tendered, admitted into evidence and marked as exhibit.
