Musa S. Sheriff, the Voice Newspaper’s Editor-in-Chief, and Muhammad J. Darboe, the Deputy Editor, entered not guilty pleas on Tuesday in front of Magistrate M. Faal at the Kanifing Magistrate Court. Bail for each of the journalists was set at D100,000.

Charges of fraudulent publication and broadcasting against Sheriff and Darboe stem from their alleged violations of Section 181A of the Criminal Code, Cap 10:01, Volume III, Laws of The Gambia 2009.The charge sheet states that the offense was caused by a report that Musa S. Sheriff and Muhammad J. Darboe reportedly published in The Voice newspaper on September 23, 2024, under the heading “President Barrow Chooses Muhammad Jah As Successor As Presidential Candidate for the 2026 Election.” According to the accusation, they disseminated this material without a valid justification or authorization, knowing or having no reason to suspect that the information was accurate.

“Musa S. Sheriff and Muhammad J. Darboe, on or about September 23, 2024, at Kanifing and various locations in the Republic of The Gambia, you knowingly or without reasonable doubt published news with the Voice Newspaper under the title “President Barrow Chooses Muhammad Jah As Successor As Presidential Candidate for the 2026 election,” knowing at the time that it was false. This was done without legal justification or authority. You therefore committed a crime. The charge sheet says this.

The case will now reopen on October 31, 2024.