Manlafi Sanyang’s Bail Review Application Rejected

The application for bail condition review concerning Manlafi Sanyang was on Wednesday rejected by the Banjul Magistrates Court. The accused Manlafi Sanyang, former government vehicles controller at State House, had earlier on applied to the court for a review of the bailed condition granted to him as he is unable to fulfill the condition.

Delivering ruling on the application Magistrate Kayode stated that the submission of the defense counsel failed to state how it became impossible to get a Permanent Secretary as surety for the accused person. He held that in a situation where there would be more than 10 Permanent Secretaries serving in the civil service of the Gambia at any given time, how then it was impossible to get a Permanent Secretary. He said the amount of bail shall be fixed with due regard to the circumstance of the case and shall not be excessive.

He wondered aloud as to who is better placed to secure the presence of the accused in court if not a senior civil servant, given the circumstance of the present case where the charge before the court is one in which a government property is alleged to have been stolen.

It could recalled that the accused, Manlafi Sanyang, has been standing trial for allegedly stealing a pick-up vehicle with registration no. BJL 4591B, being the property of the Gambia government.

He was since then granted court bail in the sum of D200,000.00, with a surety in the rank of a Permanent Secretary.

Case continued today.