By Nicholas Bass
Neneh J. Thompson, Fatoumatta Rahman Coker, Fatou Jarai Susso, Fatoumatta Drammeh and Fatou Touray the Chief Executive Officer of Kerr Fatou were on Monday arraigned before the Brikama Magistrate Court for publication of proceedings at the children’s court at Brikama contrary to Section 73 (1) and 73 (2) of the Children’s Act 2005.
According to the bill of the indictment filed before Magistrate Peter Adoh Che, the accused persons sometime between January and February last year published a matter involving one Samsudeen Phatey and one Neneh J. Thompson at the said court without the leave of the court, and thereby they committed an offence.
Lawyer for the accused persons Aziz Bensouda told the court his clients were not served with bench notice and charge sheet, appealing to the court to regularize the charge sheet.
However, counsel for the plaintiff Barrister Malick H.B. Jallow opposed the defence request, arguing that what is before the court is an elaborate copy of the case citing sections of the law to strengthen his argument. He also urged the court to revoke the bail of the 3rd accused, Fatou Jarai Susso due to her recent publication on social media.
The accused, Neneh J. Thompson, Fatoumatta Rahman Coker and Fatou Jarai Susso were absent during the court hearings while Fatou Touray, the CEO of Kerr Fatou, and Fatoumatta Drammeh of Paradise TV who were the only two of the accused persons in court pleaded not guilty to the charges.
‘’Bearing in mind that we have two accused persons who are yet to be arrested, we are going to explore all means to get them before this honourable court and we will also use diplomatic channels to get the absent accused persons before the court,” Barrister Jallow exclaimed.
Defence lawyer Aziz Bensouda also informed the court that there is no diplomatic channel to bring the 1st and 2nd accused persons, Neneh J. Thompson and Fatoumatta Rahman Coker who are out of the jurisdiction.
The presiding Magistrate Peter Adoh Che granted the defence request for the regularization of the charge sheet before adjourning the case to 3rd August 2022.
