Mobut’s Gold Case Surfaces On Pap  Saine’s False Publication Trial!!!        

……As Lawyer Drammeh Urges Court To Transfer Saine’s Case To The High Court

By Staff Writer Modou Barry, Banjul

The false publication case involving the Point Newspaper Publisher Pap Saine should be transferred to the High court, which has jurisdiction over the high profile case, Saine’s lawyer Modou Drammeh implored the presiding magistrate yesterday. Addressing a packed courtroom in Kanifing, lawyer Drammeh cited various legal authorities to support his arguments. Lawyer Drammeh reminded the court about the famous late President Mobutu’s gold case, which two Congolese journalists reported that was hidden in The Gambia. The said story continued lawyer Drammeh, landed the Congolese journalists in court with the state. The Congolese journalists in an article alleged that a significant amount of gold belonging to President Mobutu was deposited in The Gambia soil, under the leadership of President Jammeh, prior to Mobutu’s  demise.

According to lawyer Drammeh, the Congolese journalists culled the story from another newspaper, which led to their subsequent arrest and prosecution. Their lawyer, he went on challenged the legality of the venue of their trial, which cumulated to the transfer of the case to the Congo’s high court. Drammeh observed that the journalists won the case, as the Congolese state could not substantiate the charges brought against the media practitioners.

Lawyer Drammeh who attracted the attention of the presiding magistrate invoked various authorities to backup his arguments. He urges the court to transfer Pap Saine to the high court in the interest of justice. 

The presiding magistrate could not make an immediate ruling on Drammeh’s request for the matter to be transferred to the high court. She adjourned the case to April 3^rd 2009.

Pap Saine, the editor and co publisher of the Point Newspaper, an independent newspaper, whose editor in chief was shot three times by unknown assailants, has two cases against him one in the Banjul magistrates Courts, over  his nationality and the other at the Kanifing Magistrates court for false publication, charges which he denies.