In Ex-Igp Badjie & Co Drug Trial Defence Closes Case in Voire Dire

The Daily Observer (Banjul)

Sidiq Asemota

8 June 2011

Lawyer B.S. Touray, defence counse forformer IGP Ensa Badjie, Tuesday informed the court that the defence has closed its case in the Voire Dire (mini-trial) in the criminal trial involving Ensa Badjie, Mam Mattaar Secka and Kuluteh Manneh before Justice Emanuel Amadi of the High Court in Banjul.

The two are standing trial on multiple charges ranging from conspiracy to act with seditious intention, to sedition, abuse of office, obtaining money by false pretence, official corruption. The High Court ordered a voire dire (trial within trial) after the defence counsel B. S. Touray objected to the admissibility of one of the cautionary statements of the ex-police boss, Ensa Badjie on the grounds that the said statement was voluntarily obtained when the prosecution led by the DPP, Mikailu Abdullahi sought to tender the said documents as exhibit.

The prosecution then called two witnesses in the voire dire, a police officer, Mballow Jobe, the recorder of the said statement and one Babucarr Khan, who served as an independent witness. After the close of the prosecution’s case, the ex-police boss, Ensa Badjie opened his defence in the voire dire and called Kuluteh Manneh, the 3rd accused as his witness. Manneh also gave his testimony and was cross-examined.

At yesterday’s sitting, Lawyer B.S. Touray told the court that the defence was closing its case in the voire dire.

The presiding judge, Justice Emmanuel Amadi then ordered that the defence address the court on the next adjourned date, which is slated for 19th of June, 2011 adding that the defence counsel, B.S. Touray should go straight to the point when making his address on the said date.

The presiding judge however expressed disappointment at the slow pace of the trial, noting that the prosecution has only called two witnesses in the said trial and the issue of the voire dire has taken several months.

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