The High Court in Banjul on Monday, January 19, 2026, heard closing arguments in the high-profile arson and judicial interference trial of former Gambia Armed Forces soldier Abdoulie Sanyang, who stands accused of financing the 2016 burning of the APRC Bureau in Kanifing and making statements deemed disrespectful to ongoing judicial proceedings.
Presided over by Justice Ebrima Jaiteh, the session marked the culmination of months of testimony centered on Sanyang’s alleged admissions during a controversial August 2025 radio interview on West Coast Radio’s “Coffee Time” program.
State Counsel SL Jobarteh, representing the prosecution, opened the final submissions with a comprehensive address dated December 31, 2025. He emphasized that the submission consolidated all prior arguments, legal authorities, and unresolved issues in compliance with constitutional timelines, including a required response by January 16, 2026.
Jobarteh placed heavy reliance on key exhibits: the accused’s cautionary statement (Exhibit P3), a video recording (Exhibit P7), and an accompanying audio recording (Exhibit P9) supplied by West Coast Radio. He highlighted specific admissions on pages 9 and 10 of the State’s address, where Sanyang allegedly confessed to contributing financially to the arson attack on the former APRC headquarters—despite not being physically present—and to interfering with judicial processes.
The prosecution argued that Sanyang’s physical presence at the scene was irrelevant to establishing liability, as his recorded admissions were clear and unambiguous. Jobarteh cited legal precedent, including the Antoine Barat case from Montel Resort, to assert that admitted facts require no additional proof.
Regarding the arson charge—stemming from the 2016 incident—the State pointed to testimony from prosecution witness PW6, former National Assembly Speaker Omar Touray, who owned the building and claimed to have witnessed the fire being set by individuals he believed were linked to security forces.
On the judicial interference count, Jobarteh referenced statements from the same interview that allegedly showed contempt for Gambian courts, including remarks about the ongoing case of Ousainou Bojang. He invoked Sections 99(1)(d) and 99(1)(i) of the Criminal Offences Act, arguing these provisions broadly prohibit comments that criticize judicial outcomes or demonstrate disrespect toward proceedings.
Defence counsel F. Bondi delivered the closing address for the accused, relying on a submission dated and filed January 14, 2026. She urged the court to acquit and discharge Sanyang, contending that the evidence—including the contested admissions in Exhibits P3, P7, and P9, as well as PW6’s testimony—did not meet the threshold for conviction.
Sanyang, arrested in August 2025 at Banjul International Airport shortly after the radio appearance, has consistently denied the charges. He has maintained he was not in The Gambia during the 2016 arson and that his interview remarks were misinterpreted or taken out of context, insisting he never financed or participated in the burning.
Justice Jaiteh is now expected to deliver a judgment on February 10, 2026.
