By Ali Jaw
The defend counsel for Ya Kumba Jaiteh, nominated Member of the National Assembly, on Monday cross-examined Ebrima Fadera, narcotic officer at the Kanifing Magistrates’ court.
The counsel for the defendant asked him if he have a document showing he is a narcotic officer.
Mr Fadera answered by providing his document to the defendant lawyer who therefore applied to tender it.
‘’You said on the 16th of October, you and your colleagues left from Serrekunda Police at 6:00 pm, you also said you went to queen’s Bar, apart from there where did you went?” defense counsel asked.
Fadera replied: ‘’Yes, apart from there, we went to many places.”
Then the defense counsel continued: ‘’When did you reach Queens bar?”
“I cannot be specific as to the time, but it was around 9:00 to 10 pm, it was night time and there was light around the area,” Fadera answered.
‘’What did you do when you get there, (and) where did you park the vehicle?’’ Defense counsel asked.
‘’When our vehicles arrived, my colleagues and I alighted, we saw a man sitting on a motor bike, and we show him our warrant cards,” the witness said.
‘’We parked our vehicle 20 to 30m away from the man.’’ Where did you said the suspect was sitting opposite?’’ defense.
“ (He was sitting opposite) A gate, which I later realized to be where Yakumba lives.”
It was put to the witness that, he said they found the suspect at Queen’s Head Bar, but he denied that. He said where the suspect was sitting was not far from Queen’s Head Bar.
According to the witness, during the search, there was a push and pull, because the suspect was a powerful man.
‘’I know that there is another puzzle of suspected cannabis in his pocket,’’ witness said.
The defense counsel asked him, how can he push and pull with a man more powerful than him, also no matter how powerful a person is, if you cuff him, it would reduce his power.
‘’I saw what I was looking for and this was when the puzzle of suspected cannabis fell,’’ the witness told the court.
‘’You cuffed him and he was still pushing and pulling?’’ defense counsel asked again. The witness noted that, it was his colleagues who held him from behind and he put the cuff, though the push and pull was still on-going. It was put to him that there was no cannabis from the accused’s pocket, but from their own imagination, which he strongly denied before the court.
The case resumes today 10th of November, at 12:00.
