The trial of Hamadi Sowe before Justice Joseph Wowo of the High in Banjul could yesterday not proceed again.

When the matter was called, the principal state counsel, Merley Wood, informed the court that she was expexting her witness as he had telephoned to say he was on his way. After a while, Ms Wood informed the court that the prosecution witness was not present. The court had earlier delivered its ruling on the voluntariness of the accused statement, which was then admitted.

The accused is standing trial on two counts of concealment of treason. The particulars of the offence disclosed that between January and March 2006 in the Gambia, the accused knowing that Colonel Ndure Cham, the then Chief of Defencce Staff of the Gambia Armed Forces and Alieu Jobe with some other army officers and some convicted civilians convicted and others at large, intended to overthrow the democratically elected government of The Gambia, failed to give the information with all reasonable despatch to a minister (then SoS), a magistrate, a public officer or a member of the armed forces.