By Yankuba Jallow
Six Police Officers from the Gambia Police Force’s Intervention Unit (PIU), have pleaded not guilty to all counts of murder brought against them and remanded in Police custody by the Court.
When the case was called on the Thursday June 26th before Magistrate Fatou Darboe of the Banjul Magistrates Court, A. Bah announced his presence for the State whilst the accused persons were represented by Counsels A. Uzoma and Abdoulie Fatty.
When the charges were read to them, all accused persons pleaded not guilty to each of the counts. State Counsel Bah applied for the Court to allow the accused persons be remanded under Police custody, pending further investigations by the Commission of Inquiry that is probing into the issues surrounding the 18th June incident at Faraba Banta, resulting into the untimely death of three environment protesters against sand mining in their village, by a local Company, ‘Julakay’.
According to the particulars of offence, the accused persons namely Baboucarr Cham, Bala Musa Fatty, Mamadou Jallow, Alieu Camara, Musa Badgie and Nuha Colley, are alleged to have caused the death of Amadou Nyang Jawo, Bakary Kujabi, alias Seyfo and Ismaila Bah, all natives of Faraba village.
The case was later transferred to the High Court since the magistrate court does not have the jurisdiction to hear it.
