Magistrate Fatou Darboe Jaguraga, of the Brikama Magistrate Court in the West Coast Region (WCR) yesterday remanded Saikou Lowe at Mile 2 Prison after being arraigned on charges of murder.

The accused pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The statement of offence states that the accused is charged with murder contrary to section 187 and punishable under section 188 of the criminal code CAP 10:01 Volume III Laws of The Gambia, 2009.

The particulars of offence stated that the accused Saikou Lowe on 3rd day of November 2022 at Gunjur in the West Coast Region in the Republic of The Gambia, intentionally and unlawfully with malice aforethought caused the death of his late wife, Metta Touray, thereby committed an offence.  

When the case was mentioned yesterday, the prosecution team led by Inspector Kemo Y. Manneh, applied for the matter to be transferred to the High Court. Inspector Manneh relied on legal notice number 3 of 2009 and Section 62 of the CPC.

Manneh argued that the magistrate court has no jurisdiction to hear capital offences, hence he applied for the matter to the High Court which has the jurisdiction to hear such cases. He equally applied for the accused person to be remanded at the state central prison pending his appearance at the higher court.

Consequently, the presiding magistrate granted the application made by the prosecuting team led by Inspector Manneh. She then ordered the accused to be remanded at Mile Two Prison pending his appearance at the High Court.

The accused was also represented by Lawyer Dodou Jeng, who made no objection to the application made by the prosecution.