By: Nicholas Bass
The State’s fifth prosecution witness [PW5], Modou Camara, a narcotic officer attached to the DLEAG’s HQ on Tuesday, told the court that the alleged missing 52 blocks of cocaine were weighed in the presence of the former principal registrar of Kanifing Magistrates’ Court [KMC], Ridwan Othman.
Testifying before Justice Sarah Aryee of Banjul High Court under cross-examination with defence lawyer Musa Batchilly, the fifth prosecution witness [pw5], Camara, told the court that when narcotic officers went to Kanifing Magistrates’ Court premises, the suspected 52 blocks of cocaine were weighed in the presence of Othman.
According to PW5 Camara, the police at the time only identified Othman but stated that he never knew the accused persons who were indicted for the missing 52 blocks of cocaine.
At that juncture, the defense lawyer Batchilly requested for the original statement of pw5, Camara from the prosecution, but it was not with the prosecution in court.
Defense lawyer Batchilly then applied to the court for a scanned [duplicated] copy of the statement of the witness to be admitted as evidence and the same was done.
Defense lawyer Batchilly put it to him that, at the time he counted the alleged missing 52 blocks of cocaine KMC, he did not count the blocks of cocaine in sequential order. But Camara stated that the alleged missing 52 blocks of cocaine were counted in a sequential order.
The Director of Public Prosecution, DPP AM Yusuf, stood with an objection when defense lawyer Batchilly questioned Camara to verify if he was aware of an ongoing investigation regarding the alleged substituted fake drugs that were said to be burnt during last year’s National Anti-Narcotic Drug Destruction Day.
The presiding Judge, Justice Aryee, overruled the DPP’s objection and sustained the defence question, but Camara denied the question raised by the defence lawyer.
DPP AM Yusuf has filed an additional witness before the court who is expected to testify in the next adjourned date. Justice Aryee ordered the state to serve the defence lawyers with the statement of its additional witness.
Meanwhile, the former principal registrar of Kanifing Magistrates’ Court, Ridwan Othman, and magistrate Ebrima Janko Colley stand accused of conspiracy to commit a felony, theft, dealing in prohibited drugs, fraud, and breach of trust, whilst the court clerk, Maraiama Jankeh Tamba, is facing neglect of official duty.