Eight Casamance Citizens Charged with Terrorism, Espionage

Eight people believed to be from the Senegalese region of Casamance were yesterday arraigned before Magistrate BY Camara of the Banjul Magistrates’ Court, charged with terrorism and espionage.

The suspects include Sidat Jarju (alias Abelamben), Ebrima Vieux Colley (alias Abuja), Nuha Jammeh (alias Assambane), Lamin Tewn Sambou, Ansumana Jarju, Tamsir Badjie, Joseph Jatta and Abdou Salam Jammeh.

Count one of the charge against the accused persons is conspiracy to commit felony, and the particulars of the offence are that the eight accused persons between 2004 and 2006 while in diverse places in The Gambia, conspired together to carry out acts of terrorism against a neighboring state, to wit Senegal, in a manner prejucial to the security and national defence of The Gambia and thereby committed an offence.

Count two specified spying and the offence read that between 2004 and 2006 in diverse places in The Gambia, the accused persons collected photographs or documents of a confidential nature concerning security installations of The Gambia which may be directly or indirectly useful to an enemy and thereby committed an offence.

Count three is about receiving stolen properties and the offence revealed that the eight accused persons between 2004 and 2006 received military equipment from Sam Kambai, knowing or having reason to believe that it was feloniously obtained and thereby committed an offence.

Count four is about unlawful possession of Gambian national identity card, and the statement of offence revealed that the eight accused persons between 2004 and 2006, while being non-Gambians, falsely acquired Gambian national identify cards and thereby committed an offence.

All the eight accused persons pleaded not guilty to count 1, 2 and 3, while seven accused persons pleaded guilty to count four and one, the third accused, pleaded not guilty to count four.

All the eight accused persons were remanded at the Mile 2 central prisons to be brought before the court on 8th October.