By: Nicholas Bass
The Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), AM Yusuf has told the Banjul High Court president over by Justice Sarah Aryee that the second prosecution witness, Burama Jammeh came to testify to facts and not to predict the court’s decision in a case involving three judiciary officials charged of the disappearance 52 blocks of cocaine.
DPP Yusuf said that the state witness was in court to testify to facts, adding that it was not his responsibility to predict the final decision of the court.
The argument arose when defence lawyer Musa OS. Batchilly suggested that Jammeh’s wish was to see to it that former principal registrar of Kanifing Magistrates’ Court, Ridwan Othman, magistrate Ebrima Janko Colley, and court clerk, Mariama Jankeh Tamba are convicted and sentenced to the charge (s) pressed against them.
The trial Judge sustained the objection raised by DPP and ordered the defence to rephrase the question.
Defence lawyer Batchilly, however, put it to the witness that the first prosecution witness, Abdoulie Ceesay denied receipt of the exhibited 52 blocks of cocaine, adding that such revelations were the reverse of Jammeh’s testimony who affirmed in court that Ceesay signed the exhibited 52 blocks of cocaine on the registrar of the national anti-narcotic agency.
At that juncture the court paused for a while to verify if Ceesay denied receipt of the exhibited 52 blocks of cocaine, only to realize that Ceesay in his statement stated that he did not receive the 52 blocks of cocaine from Jammeh, the head of the Weighment and Exhibition unit.
The defence applied to the court for the relevant pages of the registrar of the exhibit book of the national anti-narcotic agency to be admitted and marked as an exhibit and the same was granted without any objection from the prosecution.
The matter at stage was adjourned for continuation.
The court records read that former principal registrar of Kanifing Magistrates’ Court, Ridwan Othman, and magistrate Ebrima Janko Colley are suspected of conspiracy to commit a felony, theft, dealing in prohibited drugs, fraud, and breach of trust whilst the court clerk, Mariama Jankeh Tamba is accused of neglect of official duty.