Badara Loum, Suruwa Jaiteh in court

The economic crime case involving two former permanent secretaries at the Department of State for Agriculture, Dr Badara Loum and Suruwa Jaiteh, Tuesday, resumed at the High Court in Banjul, before Presiding Justice Yamoa.

When the case was  called, State Counsel, Lawyer Shanaka, announced his representation  and took the opportunity to explain in court the state of affairs at the prosecution unit with regards to the case.

Lawyer Lamin Camara, Counsel for the second accused person (Suruwa Jaiteh) who also held a brief for Lawyer Tambedou, Counsel for the first accused person (Dr Badara Loum) countered the explanations of the state counsel, noting that all what the state counsel said had been said in court on 12th December 2007.

He then urged the court to consider the need for speedy trial of the case, saying, “you cannot keep a criminal charge hanging on the head of an accused person”. Lawyer Camara further asked as to whether the state was still investigating the case , as according to him, the passports of the accused persons had been taken away from them. He renewed his called for speedy trial of the case.

Judge Yamoa at that juncture, adjourned the case to 25th April 2008, for continuation.