Mbye Njie, the director of Operation at the National Drug Enforcement Agency (NDEA) was Thursday arraigned before the Banjul Magistrates’ Court, presided over Principal Magistrate Taiwo Ade Alagbe charged with four counts of criminal offences ranging from official corruption, and abuse of office, among others.

On count one, he was charged with official corruption contrary to Section 86 (a) of the Criminal Code Cap 10 Vol. 111 Laws of The Gambia 2009. The particulars of the offence revealed that the accused between April 2011 and July 2011 at Banjul, being employed as a Narcotic Control Officer of the National Drug Enforcement Agency of the Government of The Gambia, by virtue of his employment, did corruptly solicit or receive Fifteen Thousand Dalasis (D15, 000) from Bakary Jammeh, on account of settling a case against Sarjo Jallow out of court, and thereby committed an offence. He was charged on count two with official corruption, contrary to Section 86 (a) of the Criminal Code Cap 10 Vol.111 Laws of The Gambia 2009.

The particulars of the offence on count two stated that the accused between April 2011 and July 2011 in Banjul, being employed as a Narcotic Control Officer of the National Drug Enforcement Agency of the Government of The Gambia, by virtue of his employment, did corruptly solicit or receive Five Thousand Dalasis (D5, 000) from Bakary Jammeh, on account of releasing Sarjo Jallow on bail in the discharge of his duties as a Narcotic Control Officer and thereby committed an offence.

On count three, the accused was charged with extortion by public officers contrary to Section 67 of the Criminal Code Cap10 Vol. 111 Laws of The Gambia 2009.  The prosecution alleged in the particulars of the said offence that the accused between April 2011 and July 2011 at Banjul in the Republic of The Gambia, being employed as a Narcotic Control officer of the National Drug Enforcement Agency of the Government of The Gambia, did take or accept the sum of Fifteen Thousand Dalasis (D15, 000) from Bakary Jammeh as a reward for settling a case against Sarjo Jallow out of court in the performance of their duties as a Narcotic Control Officer and thereby committed an offence.

On the fourth count, he was charged with abuse of office contrary to Section 90 (2) of the Criminal Code Cap 10 Vol.111 Laws of The Gambia 2009.  The particulars of the offence stated that Mbye Njie between April 2011 and July 2011 in Banjul, being employed as a Narcotic Control Officer of the National Drug Enforcement Agency of the Government of The Gambia, for the purpose of self gain, did arbitrarily refrain from prosecuting Sarjo Jallow in abuse of their authority as a Narcotic Control Officer and thereby committed an offence.

The accused pleaded not guilty to all the charges levelled against him.

The director of Public Prosecution (DPP) S.H Barkun at that juncture stood up and applied for an adjournment for the hearing in the case and further applied for the court to remand the accused in prison custody. The DPP advanced reasons for his application that the matter is being investigated and there is a possibility that more charges will be preferred against the accused and the accused is an influential officer and he might interfere with the witnesses if granted bail. He promised that the investigation will be finished in two to three weeks.

The court in its ruling, ordered as follows; (a) that the accused be remanded in prison custody; (b) for the investigation to be expedited conclude within two weeks (c) upon the expiration of this period the accused shall be admitted into bail and (d) while the accused is in prison, he shall be given access to get in touch with any lawyer of his choice and the said order be served on the director general of Prisons.

The case was adjourned to July 31st, 2012 for hearing.