By Alhagie Jobe
Justice Ottaba has granted bail to the remanded Ministry of Petroleum Officials, board members and two civil servants from the office of the president. The ten accused persons are all charged with economic crimes.
They are each granted bail with the sum of 1.3 and 1.6 million dollars respectively with two Gambian sureties each with valuable properties in the Greater Banjul Area or a deposit of one third of the amount.
The accused persons are Sira Wally Ndow Njie, former Petroleum Minister, Momodou O.S Badgie, former GNPC managing director, Muntaga Momodou Sallah, former permanent secretary at the ministry of petroleum, Fafa Sanyang, former permanent secretary at the ministry of petroleum, Seedy Kanyi, a member of The GNPC board of directors, Nuha Touray, civil servant, Louie Moses, civil servant, Momodou Taal, board member and Edrissa Mass Jobe, board member and Cherno Marena, former Solicitor General.
All ten were arrested and detained since last month after The Office of The President announced that it has discovered one of the most serious economic crimes in government during the past 22 years of the second republic. They where jointly charged with conspiracy to commit felony, neglect of official duties, and giving false information to public servant.
The defense team led by Ida Drammeh includes I. Richards, Loubna Farage, Hawa Sisay Sabally, Janet Sallah Njie, Badou Conteh, R.Y. Mendy, Lamin S Camara and Abdoulie Sissoho have since been working on the bail.
The case was first mentioned in court and Principal Magistrate Omar Cham ruled that the matter will be transferred to the High Court on grounds of jurisdiction. He later remanded all the accused persons at Mile II prison until today when they were all granted bail by Justice Ottaba of The Special Criminal Division.
