The criminal trial of the former executive director of the National Drug Enforcement Agency (NDEA) Ibrahim Bun Sanneh and four others could not proceed yesterday before Justice Emmanuel Amadi of the High Court in Banjul after the court was reliably informed that the said Ibrahim Bun Sanneh had been hospitalised, having undergone an operation at the RVTH in Banjul.

The accused persons, Ibrahim Bun Sanneh Karamo Bojang, Ousman Sanneh, Marie Sanneh and Seedou Bojang are standing criminal trial on multiple criminal charges ranging from conspiracy to commit felony, stealing by persons in public service, aiding and abetting theft by public servant, unlawful possessions of firearms, unlawful possession of live ammunition, concealment and destroying evidence, official corruption, abuse of office, economic crimes, obtaining goods by false pretence, making documents without lawful authority and forgery contrary to the Laws of The Gambia. When the case came up at about 1:20pm yesterday, 5th of August 2010, principal state counsel, S.H Barkun informed the court that the first accused, Ibrahim Bun Sanneh was admitted at the RVTH, as he had undergone a cataract operation on Tuesday, 3rd of August 2010, that could take him two weeks to recover.

At this point, the presiding judge, Justice Emmanuel Amadi pointed out that the proceedings would not go on in the absence of the first accused, Bun Sanneh, but suggested that he would adjourn the case until he was fit to come to court. Shortly before the judge announced the adjourned date, defence counsel, Kebba Sanyang urged him to revisit the court's position in granting the accused persons bail. Lawyer Sanyang advanced that the offence the accused persons are charged with are not capital offences like murder or treason which carries death penalty, noting that they are charged with bailable offences.

He disclosed that today, it is Bun Sanneh and tomorrow, it could be another accused person and therefore urged the court to revisit its decision on the issue of bail for the accused persons. In his response, Justice Amadi intimated that the court would not bend backwards again on the issue of bail application. He stated that he has made his position clear on the issue of bail, but urged the defence to file their application before the Court of Appeal.The judge stressed that if not for the ill health of the first accused, Bun Sanneh, he had resolved to finish the trial before the end of this month (August).

He disclosed that he granted bail to the fourth accused, Marie Sanneh because of the special circumstances surrounding her; and urged the defence to file appeal against his decision to grant bail to the remaining four accused persons at a superior court. Kebba Sanyang however advanced that it was needless to go to a superior court, noting that the said court was privy to all. He said the court can at any stage during the pending of the trial, grant bail to accused persons, if it deems fit, and therefore urged the presiding judge to revisit the court’s decision.

The presiding judge, however adjourned the case to the 17th of August 2010 for hearing.It could be recalled that the prosecution had called six witnesses, the last being, Kelefa Jatta, a driver working at Nawec, who testified and was cross-examined by the defence.