One Ousman Ceesay, a recent returnee from Italy, on Tuesday, appeared before Magistrate Kayode Olajubutu of the Bundung Magistrates Court charged with importing a firearm into the country without a proper license and being in possession of a firearm without proper authority.

According to the particulars of the offence, on the 23rd of August 2009 at Manjiakunda, the accused was found in possession of a pistol (mark Nuruni mod 85) with ammunition. When the charges were read to him, he pleaded guilty to both counts. Corporal 1774 Ceesay, who explained the facts of the matter to the court, explained that the accused is a Gambian businessman based in Italy. He added that in June 2009, the accused shipped a vehicle to The Gambia.

He further told the court that on 30th August 2009, the accused was stopped at the Kotu police checkpoint around midnight and a search conducted on the said vehicle, which had by then been registered in The Gambia. According to the witness, some suspected cannabis seeds were found in the accused person's car and he was later taken to the police station for questioning, before going with some police officers to his house where a black box containing the pistol was found. The case was later adjourned to 4th September 2009.