(JollofNews) – A former head of the Gambia’s civil service who has been detained incommunicado for over four months was today granted bail by a special criminal court in Banjul.
Momodou Sabally, 40, who was secretary general, head of civil service and presidential affairs minister and was also the right-hand man of President Yahya Jammeh and darling of the Gambian regime, was given a D1.5 million bail and ordered to surrender his travel documents to the police.
The father of four is standing trial for economic crime, abuse of office, negligence and giving false information to President Yahya Jammeh. He has been in detention since his arrest in July by officers of the feared Gambian National Intelligence Agency (NIA).
Although the state has opposed a bail application filed last week by Mr Sabally’s lawyer, the presiding judge, Justice Amadi, said he had no reason to doubt the integrity of Mr Jammeh’s former right hand-man, whom he described as a responsible man who has served the Gambia with diligence.
Mr Sabally was detained without charge at the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) headquarters in Banjul from 7th July to 10th August 2014. He was later charged and brought to court on 11th August 2014 but was ordered to be remanded under the custody of the NIA until 14th October 2014 by a former high court judge.
He was later paraded before another court and remanded at the notorious Mile Two prisons.
