The High Court in Banjul, presided over by Justice Ebrima Jaiteh, has granted D1 million bail to former Lands Minister Sheriff Abba Sanyang and D2.2 million bail each to six other accused persons in the Kassa Kunda land case involving allegations of abuse of office, criminal trespass and obtaining money by false pretense.
The accused persons Sheriff Abba Sanyang, Cherno Sereding Sabally, Kalilu Sanyang, Bakary Gomez, Bakary Sanneh, Lamin Sabally and Malang Jarju all pleaded not guilty to the charges brought under the repealed Criminal Code, Cap. 10:01, Laws of The Gambia (2009).
Prosecutors allege that in 2022, while serving as Minister of Lands, Sanyang abused his office by approving the retention of 40 percent of forfeited land belonging to former President Yahya Jammeh in Kassa Kunda for purported customary landowners and falsely represented that the approval was lawful.
The six other accused persons are charged with criminal trespass and obtaining goods by false pretence after allegedly selling portions of the disputed land to companies for D12 million, D800,000 and D300,000, bringing the total alleged amount to D13.1 million.
Although the prosecution sought time to prepare witnesses, it did not oppose bail as Defense lawyers argued that the offences were bailable and cited constitutional provisions guaranteeing personal liberty.
In his ruling, Justice Jaiteh stated that bail is the default position for offences not punishable by death or life imprisonment and ruled that the accused were properly charged under the Criminal Code since the alleged offences occurred before the Criminal Offences Act, 2025 came into force.
The court ordered each accused person to provide one Gambian surety with landed property equal to or exceeding the bail amount, subject to valuation and approval by the Principal Registrar of the High Court.
The accused persons will remain on police bail until March 12, 2026 to meet the conditions, failing which they will be remanded in custody.
The case was adjourned to April 20, April 21 and April 27, 2026, for the hearing of the prosecution’s first witness.
