By Nicholas Bass
Justice Francis Archibonga of the Banjul High Court on Tuesday ordered State lawyers to file a brief of argument in the ongoing drugs trial involving fourBissau Guineans.
The quartet is undergoing trial over charges of conspiracy, possession of prohibited drugs, and money laundering.
It could be recalled that the former principal magistrate of the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court Omar Jabang on 17 October 2023, granted Paulo Djabi and NandinePereira court bail in the sum of D1M, and as part of the bail conditions, the duo must provide four Gambian sureties in the like sum.
Meanwhile, their alleged accomplices Mamadu Djabiand Secuna Djabi were each granted bail in the sum of D300,000 and must provide two Gambian sureties as part of the bail requirements.
However, the State on 19 October filed an interim injunction at the Banjul High Court for the bail of Paulo and Co. to be revoked.
The State prosecutors challenged the proportionality of the bail granted to the four Guineans as well as the jurisdictional powers of the lower court, saying the bail was not commensurate with the offenses charged. This was followed by an order from the court for the State to transmit the records of the ruling of the bail bond and the chargesheet pressed against Paulo and his alleged associates.
But when the matter was called on Tuesday, the Lead State Lawyer, Reneta Rohey Jack, pleaded with the court to give them time to file the original transmitted copies of the lower court.
Lawyer Jack then tendered the duplicated copies of the chargesheet and the ruling on the bail bond of Paulo and Co. She promised to file the original copies of the records before close of business on Tuesday.
Lawyer Sherriff L. Jobarteh for Paulo Djabi, NandinePereira and Mamadu Djabi pleaded with the court to admit the duplicate copies of the chargesheet and the ruling on the bail bond of all the accused.
Justice Archibonga admitted the copies of the lower court and ordered the State lawyers to submit the original copies of the lower court before the official closing hours.
The judge also ordered the State lawyers to file a briefof argument within a grace period of seven days for the commencement of the hearing of the appeal thatchallenges the jurisdictional authority of the lower to grant Paulo and Co. bail.
Justice Archibonga also gave the lead defense lawyer Jobarteh three days to file his response to the State lawyers’ brief of argument at his request.
Paulo Djabi has been slammed with 15 charges of conspiracy, possession of prohibited drugs and money laundering involving a huge amount of Dalasi, Euros,and US Dollars. His alleged female accomplice Nandine Pereira is facing charges of conspiracy, possession of prohibited drugs and money launderingwhile Mamadu Djabi and Secuna Djabi are charged with a single count of conspiracy.