Pa Modou Njie, Chief Magistrate, was accused with five counts of trafficking in illegal narcotics, abuse of office, removal of property under lawful seizure, fraud and breach of trust, and stealing in Bundung Magistrates Court yesterday.
Prosecutors charged Njie with drug peddling while serving as head magistrate at the Bundung court from August 2023 to November 2024.
They accused him of removing 104 cocaine exhibits from his office and disposing of 31 of them while presiding over narcotics cases. The missing 31 cocaine chunks were worth at D46.5 million. Chief Magistrate Njie is accused of selling cocaine.
Njie pleaded not guilty to all allegations. Commissioner Sanneh, the lead police prosecutor, requested the court to deny the accused bail, claiming that he may have access to his driver, a person of interest who has been declared wanted but has yet to be caught.
However, Njie’s defence counsel, Lamin Camara, argued that he has been in jail since December 3 and that his fundamental rights have been infringed, urging the court to give him release.
The magistrate eventually granted Njie bail in the amount of D3 million, with two Gambian sureties.
Magistrate Njie’s travel documentation were submitted to the court registrar. According to Commissioner Sanneh, granting Njie bail would also put him at risk of fleeing.
