BAC Chairman Yankuba Darboe’s sedition trial resumed at the Banjul Magistrates’ Court yesterday. The court was dealing with the decision on the defense’s motion asking for the presiding magistrate Thomasi to recuse himself from the case and for the trial to halt until a decision is made on an appeal at the High Court.

Magistrate Thomasi refused to recuse himself from the case in his decision on the twinned motion, claiming that the Chief Justice has the option to order a recusal, therefore he would continue to preside over the case until otherwise instructed.

The judge did, however, approve the defense’s second request, ordering a stop to the case’s proceedings until the outcome of its appeal to the High Court.

Yankuba Darboe, the defendant, had previously voiced his displeasure with the decision, claiming that the court had already formed an opinion on the case as a whole and had taken into consideration other issues that were not given as evidence.

Darboe claimed that the court had already decided the case’s conclusion before to hearing his defense, making it meaningless and academic.