The High Court in Banjul ruled in favour of Melville Robertson Roberts in a landmark decision, imposing a large $50,000 fine on the Gambia police force unless they returned his jewellery within fourteen days.
Kerr Fatou learned from a private source close to the proceedings that Melville emerged victorious over the Attorney General and the Inspector General of Police. The court’s decision ruled that Melville’s basic human right to property had been violated and ordered the jewellery to be returned right away under a stringent fourteen-day period. If the police don’t comply, they would have to pay him a whopping $50,000 in compensation. The court further granted him D250,000 dalasis as recompense for the violation of his rights, D200,000 for the cost of the legal defence, and an additional D50,000 as costs.

Melville decisively defeats the Inspector General of Police and the Attorney General. Melville’s fundamental human right to property has been infringed, the court has declared. Consequently, an order stating that the respondents must return the jewellery to Melville within 14 days of receiving it, or else they will be required to pay Melville $50,000. According to our source, the court also granted D250,000 dalasis as recompense for Melville’s rights infringement, D200,000 for legal fees, and a final D50,000 as costs.

Melville Robertson Roberts claimed that his fundamental rights and liberties under Sections 22 and 37 of the Constitution had been violated, and he had launched a case against the Attorney General and the Inspector General of Police. In his plea to the High Court, he asked for a declaration of the Inspector General of Police’s arbitrary withholding of his $50,000 worth of jewellery. He insisted that the court order the items’ prompt restitution or order the $50,000 market value at the time of seizure to be paid.