Two Senior Prison Officers charged, remanded

Babucarr Badjie and Bakary Jammeh, senior officers of the prison service were recently arraign at the Banjul Magistrate Court presided by Magistrate Alagbe Taiwo Ade and charged with three counts of abuse of office, bringing of prohibited articles into the prison and communicating with prisoners without permission.

They denied any wrong doing. The particulars of offence on count one stated that Babucarr Badjie and Bakary Jammeh between 2010 and 2011 at Mile II Central Prison in the city of Banjul, being employed in public service by virtue of their status as officers of the prisons services respectively, abuse the authority of their office by giving mobiles phones with Sim cards numbers 9094793 and 9045835 to one Alieu Bah, an inmate serving prison term at Mile II Central Prison, to make calls to the State House which they knew could be a negative impact on the national security of the Gambia.

The particulars of offence on count two indicated that Babucarr Badjie and Bakary Jammeh between 2010 and 2011 at the Mile II Central Prison in the city of Banjul, being a employed in the public service by virtue of their status as officers at the prison service respectively, brought in three mobile phones Mark Nokia with two Sim cards 9094793 and 9045835 to Alieu Bah, an inmate serving prison terms at Mile II Central prison to make call without lawful permission.

According to the particulars of offence on count three Babucarr Badjie and Bakary Jammeh between 2010 and 2011, at Mile II Central Prison in the city of Banjul, being a employed in the public and by virtue of their status as officers of the prison service respectively gave three Mobile phones mark Nokia with Sim cards number 9094793 and 9045835 to Alieu Bah, an inmate serving prisons terms at the Mile II Prisons for the purpose of communication.

Prosecutor Superintendent Sainey Joof informed the court that the matter is still under investigation and the prosecution is opposing bail for the accused persons. However, defence counsel Ebrima Jah argued that the charges are bailable. The accused have been in custody since January 2011 and the police had ample time to investigate the matter, he said. Case continues on February 28.