By Sainabou Sambou
Abdoulie Njie, on Thursday testified before Magistrate Mam Samba Jallow of Kanifing Magistrate Court on mobile phone theft case ongoing before the magistrate court.
In his testimony, the witness affirmed that he recognized the accused person, Abdoulie Kanteh. He said on Tuesday, 14th April, at 4pm while he was standing at his working place where a taxi was packed he saw Abdoulie Kanteh emerged from where the taxi was packed at Manjai.
He explained that the accused person passed-by him and entered the staffroom while himself (witness) thought he (the accused person) was going inside to use the bath, while a phone was charging inside. But when the accused person entered the staffroom he saw the phone and unplugged it while himself (witness) was going inside the staffroom he met the accused person (Abdoulie Kanteh) and asked him where he was coming from. But the accused person replied that he was thirsty, while he asked him if he didn’t see the tap but he said the accused replied negative that ‘no.’
According to Abdoulie Njie who said at that moment he was with a friend called Joseph Mendy he instructed his friend to go inside and bring his phone from where he was charging it, Abdoulie Kanteh, the accused person, turned back and followed Joseph while the witness said he too followed them immediately.
He went on with his narration that, Joseph said the phone was not there but at that juncture, he said the accused person pulled out the phone and gave it to him (the witness) and said it was a mistake. The witness took the phone from him, while the witness later found on him an iPhone charger and a power back.
The witness stated that when those items were collected from him, there was a taxi driver who recognized Abdoulie Kanteh (the accused person) and said the accused person owed him D800 and therefore demanded for his money.
After taken the phone from him he was released, but the bystanders watching them beat him while he (witness) escorted him to the nearby petrol station to advice him, but later on the witness said he saw Abdoulie Kanteh with a police who had said he beat the accused person and then arrested him (Abdoulie Njie).
The prosecutor asked the witness if he can recognize the phone, the witness answered affirmative and he was asked again to describe the phone and he did. The phone was entered as an exhibit while the accused person later confirmed the witness testimony to be truth.
Police officer 2231 L Gibba represented IGP.
