Journalist Fatou Jaw Manneh’s Case Resumes Today

The protracted case against Fatou Jaw Manneh ius expected to resume today at the Kanifing Magistrates’ court. The accused, a US-based Gambian female journalist, was arraigned last year before Principal Magistrate Buba Jawo of the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court for publishing false information and publishing seditious words with intent to cause alarm, allegations which she denied.

In prosecuting the matter that saw excessively rare instances of transfers from one court to another, state prosecution called some witnesses to prove the charge against Ms Jaw Manneh.

No sooner had the case begun at Kanifing than Magistrate Jawo transferred it to Banjul Magistrates’ Court on the supposed grounds that Kanifing Magistrates’ Court had no jurisdiction to hear the case.

Magistrate Mboto of Banjul Magistrates’ Court in turn transferred the case to the Brikama Magistrates’ Court as the court that had jurisdiction to hear the case.

The Brikama Magistrates’ Court for its part transferred the case to the High Court, which finally sent it back to the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court for the fact that the case started there and witnesses had started giving evidence.