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Dr Amadou Scattred Janneh, ex- information minister of Gambia has given-out T-Shirts to boys, including myself said, Saidou Camara on Thursday.
Mr Camara who was testifying as the state 10 witness however told the court that he did not know the inscription on it because he is an ‘illiterate’.
Arrested in June 2011, Dr Janneh was put on trial for conspiracy, sedition and treason at the High Court in Banjul while Michel C. Ucheh Thomas, a Nigerian, and two Gambian youth, Modou Keita and Ebrima Jallow are only facing sedition charges.
He is accused of printing and distributing T-Shirts bearing the inscription: ‘Coalition for Change The Gambia, End Dictatorship Now’ with intend to overthrow the government. He pleaded not guilty.
“I was returning from the beach when I met the accused standing beside his vehicle parked at the Kotu fire service distributing T-Shirts to boys,” the witness alleged.
The witness who claimed to be working with the Uncle Sam Security Services further told the court that he wore the T-shirt the following day when going to work but was stopped and arrested by a PIU officer.
“I was arrested and taken to PIU camp where I found the accused detained,” he said
During cross examination, the witness affirmed that he is illiterate and can only write his name and nothing else.
Meanwhile the chief prosecutor, Mikilive Abdullah has opposed to defense lawyer Lamin Camara’s request for bail for all the accused persons.
He said, the three accused persons namely; Michel C. Ucheh Thomas, a Nigerian, and two Gambian youth, Modou Keita and Ebrima Jallow will never appear in court when released on bail.
He said the investigations are still on-going and more charges are likely to be brought against the accused persons.
“The defense counsel cannot say investigation are concluded because he was never part of the investigation panel,” chief prosecutor said.
“Bail is in the discretion of the court but the need to protect the society from crimes is very relevant”
The court is expected to make ruling on Tuesday, 29 November, 2011.
Mr Camara who was testifying as the state 10 witness however told the court that he did not know the inscription on it because he is an ‘illiterate’.
Arrested in June 2011, Dr Janneh was put on trial for conspiracy, sedition and treason at the High Court in Banjul while Michel C. Ucheh Thomas, a Nigerian, and two Gambian youth, Modou Keita and Ebrima Jallow are only facing sedition charges.
He is accused of printing and distributing T-Shirts bearing the inscription: ‘Coalition for Change The Gambia, End Dictatorship Now’ with intend to overthrow the government. He pleaded not guilty.
“I was returning from the beach when I met the accused standing beside his vehicle parked at the Kotu fire service distributing T-Shirts to boys,” the witness alleged.
The witness who claimed to be working with the Uncle Sam Security Services further told the court that he wore the T-shirt the following day when going to work but was stopped and arrested by a PIU officer.
“I was arrested and taken to PIU camp where I found the accused detained,” he said
During cross examination, the witness affirmed that he is illiterate and can only write his name and nothing else.
Meanwhile the chief prosecutor, Mikilive Abdullah has opposed to defense lawyer Lamin Camara’s request for bail for all the accused persons.
He said, the three accused persons namely; Michel C. Ucheh Thomas, a Nigerian, and two Gambian youth, Modou Keita and Ebrima Jallow will never appear in court when released on bail.
He said the investigations are still on-going and more charges are likely to be brought against the accused persons.
“The defense counsel cannot say investigation are concluded because he was never part of the investigation panel,” chief prosecutor said.
“Bail is in the discretion of the court but the need to protect the society from crimes is very relevant”
The court is expected to make ruling on Tuesday, 29 November, 2011.
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