By Nelson Manneh
Counsel Borry Touray, the attorney for Mr. Momodou L. Jarju, commonly known as Rongo, told the court that his client has decided to reduce most of his bulky documented evidence and rely on a few selected ones to prove his ongoing case at the High Court. This civil suit has to do with the alleged unlawful arrest, detention, and prosecutions of Momodou L. Jarju Rongo meted on him by the State and other associates.
On Monday 23rd June 2025, when the case was called before Justice Sara Ayew, Momodou L. Jarju Rongo and his attorney Counsel Borry S. Touray were present in court. Counsel Kebba Sanyang for the defense was also in court with Momodou Lungs Jarju the Alkalo of Banjulunding, Imam Yahya Bah, Landing Korteh, and Foday Barry, former Director of NDEA, who were all present.
Counsel Borry Touray reminded the court that Rongo and his client had submitted almost one hundred documents as supporting evidence to both the court and also to the various parties in the case. Touray said seventy of the documents were identified through the previous judges that initially presided over the case but were not marked.
Counsel Touray told the court that his client Rongo has decided to reduce most of his bulky documented evidence and just rely on a few selected ones already listed in the additional affidavit of witness statement filed since the 17th March 2025 and served to the court and all the parties concerned. Counsel Kebba Sanyang confirms to the court that Rongo had already served him with all documents that he (Rongo) filed including the additional affidavit of statement.
The presiding judge, upon listening to both parties, decided to give multiple days of proceedings to make sure that the long-delayed case be fast-tracked in the interest of justice and therefore adjourned the case to the 3rd, 4th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 17th, 18th, and 19th of November 2025 for pretrial.
The documents that Rongo finally wants to rely on include: the judgment from the Banjul Magistrate Court which delivered in favour of Rongo against the prosecution dated 1st November 2012; the Foroyaa Newspaper dated the 6th and 7th June 2011 with publications about the unlawful arrest and detentions of Rongo and his old aged father by Foday Barry the former Director of NDLEA; various medical receipts obtained by Rongo when he was sick as a result of the unlawful arrest and detentions by the NDLEA; letters of recommended gratitude supporting Rongo’s successful professional cultural centre and musical project developments Rongo contributed nationally and internationally officially endorsed by NATCOM / UNESCO Office; documents showing development projects of Rongo including the Cultural Centre & Lodge; recommendation letter from the Minister of Tourism & Culture; recommendation letter from the Minister of Youths and Sports and Ministry of Foreign Affairs; invitation letters from the organization called Pan African Film Festival in USA and the invitation from the Embassy of Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela; various newspapers from Daily Observer featuring the Rongo cultural music project within Yarambamba Cultural Centre and the United Kingdom and other parts of the world since the year 2002 onwards among other dozens of documents.
In this case Rongo is claiming for damages in the sum of D10,000,000 for his unlawful arrest and detentions, damages in the sum of D10,000,000 for the malicious prosecution of his various offences by the defendants and their agents when they knew they ought not to have been so charged. He also claims damages for the loss of earning in the sum of D10,000,000 occasioned by the unlawful arrest and detention of Rongo by the defendants, interest at the rate of 25% from the very date of accrual of the cause of action being the 1st Day of November 2012 till the date of judgment, full date of payment, cost of action being the sum of D200,000 and such order or others as the court may deem fit.
