Things move slowly in the Gambia. That is with the exception of the country’s move to arrest Charlie after inviting him to return there. Charlie’s case has had several false starts. Today the scheduled hearing was adjourned after a senior judge in the country died. Last week the hearing didn’t progress further than legal wrangling over who can receive legal documents. The upshot for Charlie is that he’s being treated extremely poorly. He still has no idea what lies behind the “case” against him, particularly as the prosecution has not fulfilled the court’s request to provide any detail of this. This makes it impossible to prepare a defence.
Charlie is passing his time as well as he can. He’s been away from his family and friends for over three months now and just wants to get home. It is inhumane to treat someone in this way and Gambia should be ashamed of this whole affair.
April 23, 2008 at 8:31 pm
Oh good grief! Poor Charlie, and his family.
Some of the court reports I find in the online Gambian news sites are difficult to follow, but this whole thing is dragging on interminably and it is just so unfair.
Sympathies to the family of the late judge of course, but maybe new personnel on the case may change the thinking of the court. Let’s hope so!
June 7, 2008 at 12:04 pm
Bad news, folks. Charlie’s hopes of getting his passport back while the prosecution got its act together have been dashed and the trial starts next week.
http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=133188&command=displayContent&sourceNode=133171&contentPK=20784610&moduleName=InternalSearch&formname=sidebarsearch