Gambian Magistrate Denies Bail to Detained Appeal Court Judge
A magistrate’s court in the Gambian capital, Banjul, has refused an application for bail sought by the former president of the Gambian Court of Appeal, Justice Joseph Wowo, who is currently in detention on charges of giving false information to a public official.
According to judicial sources, Justice Wowo was arraigned before Magistrate Dawda Jallow of the Banjul magistrates’ court on one count charge of giving false information to a public officer contrary to the criminal code.
According to the particulars of offence before the court, the defendant on or about December 3rd, 2012 in the city of Banjul, wrote a letter to the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) informing them that the former President of the Gambia Bar Association, Mrs. Amie Bensouda, conducted herself in a manner that was undermining the administration of the Gambian judiciary by asking for pending cases data, an information he knew to be false at the time.
Wowo however pleaded not guilty to the charge proffered against him.
His lawyer, Mr Uzuma Achigbue applied to the court to grant bail to his client pending the hearing of the case, arguing that the offence is a misdemeanor that would be allowed bail. He argued that the defendant will never jump bail and will be available throughout the trial to answer to the charge preferred against him.
In his turn, the police prosecutor Sergeant Almameh Manga submitted that the prosecution is opposed to the application for bail on the grounds that investigation into the matter is still ongoing. Manga pointed out that there is likelihood for the accused to tamper with the investigation and influence witnesses as well.
The trial magistrate ruled that the accused be remanded in custody until January 28th.
Source African Press Agency
African News from NetNewsPublisher.com
Category: Africa
