Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – Justice Ebrima Jaiteh of the High Court in Banjul has ordered West Coast Radio to surrender the original audio recording of a controversial August 14 interview between journalist Peter Gomez and Abdoulie Sanyang, the Switzerland-based former Gambian soldier currently facing charges of arson and interference with judicial proceedings.

The ruling followed an unopposed application by state prosecutor S.L. Jobarteh during a hearing on the ongoing case. Defense counsel Lamin J. Darboe, representing Sanyang, raised no objections, allowing the court to grant the request without delay.

Sanyang, who was arrested at Banjul International Airport in August while attempting to board a flight to Europe, has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Prosecutors allege that during a live broadcast of “Coffee Time,” he admitted to financing the 2016 arson attack on the APRC bureau in Kanifing and made disparaging remarks about the Gambian judiciary despite ongoing proceedings in a related murder trial.

In his ruling, Justice Jaiteh described the prosecution’s application as “meritorious,” stressing that the audio recording sits at the heart of the case. “The particulars of the offense in counts one and two directly relate to a live radio interview broadcast on West Coast Radio,” he stated. “The audio recording is therefore not only relevant but also material to the just determination of the issues before the court.”

The judge cited Section 221 of the Evidence Act, 1994—which permits the court to summon documents without requiring the custodian to testify—and Section 160 of the Criminal Procedure Act, 2025, which empowers courts to compel the production of material evidence.

Applying these provisions, he concluded that West Coast Radio has the recording in its “possession, custody, or control” and must release it.

The proprietor of West Coast Radio, or an authorised representative, has been ordered to appear before the High Court and produce the original audio of the August 14, 2025, “Coffee Time” interview. Non-compliance could lead to contempt proceedings.

The case has been adjourned to November 24, 2025, at 2 p.m., for continuation.