By Kebba Touray
Kuta Jambang, the witness in the post-election saga of Koro Jula Kunda village in the URR, which also involves one Ousman Bah, on Tuesday 17th April 2018, testified in the trial, presided over by Magistrate Demba Senghore, of the Basse Magistrate’s Court. This was how the proceedings went:
Prosecution: What are your names?
Witness: My names are Kuta Jambang
Prosecution: Where do you come from?
Witness: I’m from Koro Jula Kunda
Prosecution: What is your occupation?
Witness: I am a farmer.
Prosecution: Can you recall on the 13th of April 2018?
Witness: Yes, I can.
Prosecution: Tell us what happened.
Witness: We were brewing green tea (‘attaya’) at Dou Sannoh’s compound and the accused threw a stone that landed on my head and repeatedly said ‘‘I will kill you.’’
Prosecution: Do you recognize the accused person?
Witness: Yes.
Prosecution: Would you recognize the stone?
Witness: Yes.
Prosecution: How would you recognize the stone?
Witness: I picked it from where he stoned me. It is a broken cement block.
At this juncture, the stone was shown to the Witness for identification, which she confirmed.
At this stage, the Prosecution applied for the stone to be tendered and marked as an exhibit, which was granted by the Presiding Magistrate, in accordance with section 3 of the Evidence Act.
Prosecution: What happened?
Witness: The accused immediately took a stick and wanted to beat me, but the para military personnel intervened, took the stone and the stick from him, apprehended him, put him in handcuffs and took him away.
Prosecution: When you boarded the vehicle where did you go?
Witness: I went to Bakadagie Police Station.
Prosecution: What happened?
Witness: They took me to a clinic in Bakadagie. The check on me showed that I was affected with general body pain as a result of the beating.
Prosecution: Were your statements taken at the said police station?
Witness: Yes.
Prosecution: Were you given a medical paper?
Witness: I was given a paper which they asked me to give to the police, which I did.
At this juncture the Magistrate asked the accused person whether he has any questions for the Witness.
The accused person replied in the positive and put his questions to the Witness thus:
Accused: If I had used the stone on you, would you have survived it?
Witness: You threw the stone at me.
Accused: I was at a meeting which was far from where you were. How was it possible for you to see me, because Dou Sannoh’s compound is fenced with a main gate?
Witness: You threw a stone that landed on my head.
Accused: How did I stone you?
Witness: You threw the stone at me at Dou Sannoh’s compound.
At this stage the Prosecution appealed for an adjournment to enable them bring more witnesses to court.
The case was adjourned to 26th April 2018, for continuation.
