Police have on Wednesday extended the bail granted to Nenneh Freda Gomez and other personnel of the Global Home of Medical Mission.
Police spokesman, Superintendent (Spt.) Lamin Njie said on Monday: “Neneh Freda Gomez and two others were arrested for trespassing into a property under litigation at the High Court.”
Global HOMM was on 14 February 2007 registered as a charitable company in The Gambia, Certificate Number: 53/2007. The NGO Affairs Agency certified that Global HOMM was registered, recognized and allowed to operate as an International NGO in The Gambia on 11 September 2008 as A76 NGO.
Gomez and her colleagues reported to the Kairaba Police Station on Wednesday, but were later transported to the Police Headquarters in Banjul.
She said on Wednesday: “They (the Police) consulted with the commissioner of prosecution in Banjul and later informed us that the file is being sent to Banjul. We were again escorted to Banjul at 13:33 pm. There the commissioner also reviewed the file with two of his assistants and later invited us in together with our attorney. He asked us to explain what the issue was and our attorney had to explain the genesis. The commissioner said he will have to consult with his superiors and then get back to us, but said with emphasis that they may have to send the file to the AG Chambers. He then said he will extend the bail to tomorrow morning at 9:00 am.”
The Gambia Police Force on Monday 11th October 2021 pressed charges against Neneh Freda Gomez and two others for allegedly trespassing into a property under litigation at the High Court.
Reports have it that the Citizens Alliance (CA) spokesperson, Neneh Freda Gomez, and her colleagues (Gilbert Manga and Lamin Sey) were picked up by state security agents and taken away on Monday afternoon (11th October 2021), but were later granted bail.
Their arrest was in connection with a property in Bijilo owned by Global Home of Medical Mission.
Readers would recall that The Gambia Government was sued in respect of the same piece of land that was occupied by the Anti-Crime Unit of the Gambia Police Force in Bijilo as their headquarters. However, Foroyaa has been reliably informed that the police have vacated the property.
The Respondents in this case were Minister of Lands and Regional Government, Director for Lands and Surveys and the Attorney General.
On the first ground of the application, Global HOMM sought for the court to declare that the Notice of Acquisition and Revocation of their lease with serial registration number K12/07 in respect to their property in Bijilo which was occupied by the Anti-Crime Unit of the Gambia Police Force was null and void.
On the second ground, they wanted the court to declare that the purpose for which their property has been compulsorily acquired by the State was not for public use.
They also sought from the court a declaration that the lease registration of their property that the Anti-Crime Unit was occupying remained valid and subsisting.
They wanted the court to declare that the allocation and the vesting of title of their property to a third party was null and void.
They wanted the court to make an order that no Notice of Acquisition and Revocation of their leased property be served on them prior to the purported revocation.
They asked the court to make an order setting aside all transactions entered into by the Respondents with any third parties in relation to their property.
They also asked the court to award a cost of five hundred thousand dalasis (D500,000) in their favour.
The State, through State Counsel, Muhammed B. Sowe said the respondents have conceded to the application.
“The respondents concede to the application on the ground that the notice was not gazetted as required by section 7 (5) of the Lands Acquisition and Compensation Act,” Sowe informed the court.
He added: “The Respondent (Attorney General and others) concede to the application and will follow the proper procedure. We have reasons for doing that. We want to follow the right procedure.”
Lawyer Rachael Y. Mendy for the applicants (Global HOMM) indicated to the court that she had no objection to the State Counsel’s submission. However, she sought for the court to go ahead to grant the application.
