By Rohey Jadama Lamin M.S. Jobe, the Coordinator of West African Agricultural Productivity Project (WAAPP) was granted bail on 14th January, 2015 in the sum of D3, 000, 000 before Justice Abi at the High Court.The Defence Counsel, Lamin S. Camara, applied for the accused to be bailed and there was no objection from the state counsel, Aji Amie Ceesay. The trial judge granted the application but said that the ruling will be done in chambers. A source revealed that the conditions of bail are that each of his two sureties must swear to an affidavit of means, and each must deposit a title deed valued at D1.5 million and the Valuation Report and the applicant’s travelling documents are to be deposited with the court not later than Wednesday, 14 January 2015. The accused was earlier arraigned before Bundung Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, 11th December, 2014 and he pleaded not guilty to all the charges. The case was then transferred to the High Court in Banjul. On Count One ‘Neglect of Official Duty’, the prosecution alleges that the accused person sometime in November 2014, as Project Coordinator of WAAPP, under the Ministry of Agriculture in Abuko, neglected his duties by failing to properly supervise his accountant, Pa Saibo Beyai, who gave out 2,000 bags of fertilizer (NPK & Urea) worth 2,260,000.00 to one Alagie Kebbeh, the Director of National Youth Association for Food Security (NAYAF), who is at large. The state alleges on count two “Economic Crime’, that the accused, as WAAPP Project coordinator, and the WAAPP Accountant, gave out 2,000 bags of Fertilizers (NPK& Urea) worth D2,260,000.00 to the said Alagie Kebbeh, who failed to pay the outstanding sum of D1,810,000.00, without following the proper procedures as stated in their Project implementation Manual.]]>
