By Sainabou Sambou
High Court proceedings in the high-profile land corruption case involving former Minister of Lands and Regional Government Abba Sanyang and six co-accused were dramatically adjourned on Monday after the prosecution team requested more time to obtain fresh instructions from their superiors.
The case, which has drawn significant public attention amid ongoing concerns over alleged irregular land allocations during the previous administration, came to a sudden halt shortly after it began before Justice Ebrima Jaiteh.
Led by Principal State Counsel S.L. Jorbateh, assisted by Counsel F. Touray, the prosecution informed the court that new directives from the Attorney General’s Chambers required immediate clarification. Counsel Jorbateh told the court he had received information necessitating further guidance on “the way and manner” the prosecution intends to handle the matter moving forward.
“The prosecution is not in a position to proceed today without those clear instructions,” Jorbateh submitted, acknowledging the potential inconvenience to the court but stressing the importance of aligning the case strategy properly.
The development came as the first prosecution witness (PW1), Buba Sanyang, former Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Lands and now serving as Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Fisheries, sat ready to continue his evidence-in-chief. All accused persons, including ex-Minister Sanyang, were present in the dock, and defense lawyers K. Sanyang and J. Jeng had also indicated readiness to proceed.
Justice Jaiteh expressed mild displeasure at the last-minute application, noting that the court, the witness, the accused, and both legal teams were fully assembled and prepared. “We could have made substantial progress today,” the judge remarked, before probing whether any part of the witness’s testimony could still be taken in the interim.
Counsel Jorbateh, however, maintained that anticipated changes in approach made it imperative to pause until directions were confirmed.
Defense counsel did not object to the adjournment request. In light of the consensus, Justice Jaiteh granted the application and adjourned the matter to Tuesday, 12 May 2026, between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., when the court will resume hearing PW1’s testimony.
The case centers on allegations of abuse of office and corrupt practices in land administration.
