Pap Saine And His Lawyer Did Not Show Up In Court !!!

…Editor Pap Saine Trial Deferred  

By Staff Writer Bolong Jammeh, Banjul.

The trial of the Point Newspaper's editor Pap Saine has on Thursday 19th February deferred to 25th February for the continuation of hearing before magistrate Sagarr Jahateh of the Kanifing magistrates' court.The adjournment came following the magistrates' assertion that she will be attending class and ordered the court clerk to deferred the case to 25th February.

Meanwhile, the accused and his defense counsel were not in court. Judicial sources said the accused and his lawyer might have been informed about the adjourned date by the court ahead of time. Sources said the absence of the two in court do not in anyway suggest that the accused violated the terms and conditions of his bail. Our sources said the court in some occasions notify parties ahead of time about a planned adjournment before a particular case is set for hearing. What’s evident though is that, neither Saine nor his lawyer were seen in court on Thursday. Journalists and sympathisers of the accused were present at the courtroom during the adjournment announcement.

Currently the Gambian authorities are investigating the nationality of Mr.Saine.If found that he is not a Gambian citizen Saine might be deported to Senegal. He might as well lost his life time investment properties in the country. This prevailing circumstances has traumatized Saine and drastically reduces the quality of his office work.

Pap Saine is a respectable Gambian journalist. He won numerous awards in the past. His arrest and subsequent prosecution attracted a lot of international attention.