Gambiaj.com – (Banjul, the Gambia)- The case of 23 youths accused over the Anti-PURA protest has taken a new turn after the prosecution amended the charges against them at the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court.
Police prosecutor Commissioner James Manga applied to substitute the original charge with a two-count indictment, citing Section 218 of the Criminal Procedure Act 2025. The defence team, led by lawyers Lamin S. Camara, J. Jobarteh, K. Jallow, and F. Jallow, confirmed receipt of the amended charge and raised no objection. Magistrate Touray then allowed the new charges to be read in court.
The Charges
Count One: Control of Procession, contrary to Section 5(5) of the Public Order Act. Police allege that the 23 accused staged a procession along Kairaba Avenue between August 22 and 23, 2025, without a permit, in a manner “likely to cause a breach of the peace.”
Count Two: Unlawful Assembly, contrary to Section 63 of the Criminal Offences Act. The prosecution claims the youths unlawfully gathered at the offices of the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) without authorization.
All 23 defendants pleaded not guilty.
Witness Cross-Examined
Before the trial resumed, Commissioner Manga asked the court to adopt the evidence-in-chief of prosecution witness Chief Inspector Alasanna E. Bah, which the defence did not contest.
During cross-examination, defence lawyer Camara pressed Inspector Bah on the details of the arrests.
“Did you personally arrest all the accused persons?” Camara asked.
“No, I can’t arrest them personally, but we were on an operation,” Inspector Bah said, adding that the arrests were carried out by “my men and I.”
The defence further questioned him about the dates of arrest. While Bah said all 23 were picked up at the protest, he gave conflicting dates—first mentioning 22nd September before admitting he could not recall whether arrests also occurred on the 23rd.
Camara also challenged the witness on whether he could identify who among his men arrested each accused person. Bah admitted: “I don’t know them physically one by one.”
The case has been adjourned to October 9, 2023, for the continuation of the cross-examination.
