By Sainabou Sambou
The high-profile trial of former Lands Minister Abba Sanyang and six co-accused resumed on Tuesday at the High Court in Banjul, with proceedings centering on the admissibility of critical police statements obtained during the investigation into an alleged land issue.
Presiding over the case, Justice Ebrima Jaiteh heard testimony from the prosecution’s second witness, Police Officer Samba Mballow. The officer told the court he recognized two of the accused persons in connection with a special panel established to probe the controversial land matter linked to Sanyang’s tenure as minister.
Mballow, who was part of the investigative team, testified that he had been tasked with recording cautionary statements from all seven accused. However, he only managed to obtain statements from Kalilu Sanyang and Lamin Sabally. He explained in detail the procedures followed to ensure the statements complied with constitutional requirements.
According to the witness, before recording Kalilu Sanyang’s statement, he informed the accused of his right to remain silent. He warned that anything said could be used as evidence against him in court—an independent witness identified only as Samba was present throughout the process. The statement was given in Mandinka, translated into English, read back to the accused, and signed by all parties present. The same meticulous procedure was followed for Lamin Sabally’s statement.
When shown the documents in court, Mballow confirmed they bore his signature and were the exact statements he had recorded.
Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) AM Yusuf then applied to tender both cautionary statements into evidence. Defense counsel K. Sanyang did not object. However, Justice Jaiteh noted that lead defense counsel L.J. Darboe was absent, as he was appearing before the Supreme Court in a separate matter and no legal representative had been arranged for him.
In the interest of justice and fairness, Justice Jaiteh ruled that the application should be deferred until Darboe is present to allow the full defense team an opportunity to respond. The judge emphasized the need to protect the rights of all accused persons.
The matter has been adjourned to Monday, 27 July 2026, when the court will hear arguments on the admissibility of the statements before delivering a ruling.
The trial continues to attract significant public attention, as it involves serious allegations surrounding land allocation during Sanyang’s time in office. Further witnesses are expected to be called once preliminary evidentiary issues are resolved.
