By Rohey Jadama
Mr. Sulayman Jatta, the village head (Alkali of Bijilo), yesterday,
8th April, continued with his testimony as the second
prosecution witness (PW2) before Justice Emmanuel Amadi of the Special Criminal Division of the High Court in the case involving Mr. Momodou Sabally, former Secretary General, Head of the Civil Service and Minister of Presidential Affairs at the Banjul High Court.The Director of Public prosecution (DPP) appeared for the state, while
Antouman Gaye represented the accused person.
Mr. Jatta told the court that the accused took them (Assan Ndoye, PW1
and himself) inside the Square and climbed up on the pavilion where
they were given chairs to sit on and watch a wrestling match that was
going on at the time. He said the ministers later arrived and were
followed by the president.
PW2 told the court that the accused person called Assan and then
introduced him to the president and that when Assan returned he asked
him what he told the president. He said Assan responded that he told
the president that he wants to work with him and that he asked him
whether he had told him about the vehicles. He said Assan explained
that the president told him that he had been informed about the
vehicles but had not yet seen them. He said they continued watching
the wrestling match up to around 1 am.
The Bijilo Alkali told the court that when they were going home after
the wrestling match, the accused (Sabally) asked them to go with the
vehicles as it was already late and to bring them back the following
day. He said himself, Sheikh (PW1) and Assan brought the vehicle the
next day and that this time they entered the state house and parked
them there. He said they then went to see the accused and waited for
him at the reception.
He told the court that after a while, Fatou Mass Jobe, the former
Minister of Tourism and Culture, came and went with Assan into the
office of the Secretary General (Sabally) and left him and PW1
waiting in the reception. He said after the former Tourism and Culture
Minister left, the two of them were then asked to enter the accused
person’s office.
“The accused (Sabally) told us that Assan said he would do what he had
asked him to do only in Senegal but not in the Gambia,” said PW2.
At this juncture, the DPP interjected and enquired about what the
accused wanted Assan to do.
In response, PW2 said Assan promised that he could bring some black
Americans to attend the Roots Home Coming Festival and that was the
programme Assan planned to organise in Senegal.
Mr. Jatta told the court that they left the vehicles where they were
parked in the custody of the accused person.
PW2 told the court that on the next day, himself and Assan came to
Banjul and went to the office of the former Minister of Tourism and
Culture where he waited at the reception while Assan entered her
office. He said after Assan’s discussion with the minister, he
accompanied him to the ferry terminal on his way home. He said while
Assan was in Senegal he used to communicate with him and he has been
complaining that his calls were not being received by the accused
(Sabaaly) and Fatou Mass Jobe.
He said Assan returned to the Gambia after sometime and brought a
proposal for the vehicle and that he went with him to see PW1. He said
the proposal was handed over to PW1 for onward transmission to the
accused. He said after this he conveyed Assan to the ferry terminal
again.
He further told the court that Assan returned to the Gambia for the
third time and this time around, he could not meet with the accused
because he had travelled. He said Assan left for Senegal again and
later returned for the fourth time, but that this time, the accused
was no longer the Secretary General, Head of the Civil Service and
Minister of Presidential Affairs.
Alkali Jatta told the court that Assan then went to the Senegalese
High Commission in the Gambia to see the High Commissioner and that he
and PW1 were asked by Assan to accompany him. He said Assan explained
the whole transaction regarding the vehicles to the High Commissioner
but who told him that he cannot do anything about it since he was not
informed about it at the inception.
PW2 told the court that he cannot remember the mark of the vehicles
but that they were meant for sale and that the accused wanted them to
be sold to the president.
Under cross-examination by defence counsel Antouman Gaye, the witness
was asked how many statements he made. He responded that he gave only one statement.
“When Fatou Mass Jobe left the office of the accused, who and who were
invited into the accused office?” asked counsel Gaye. The witness
responded that it was himself and PW1 who were invited into the office
of the accused.
At this juncture, the case was adjourned to Monday, 13th April, 2015 at 11 am.]]>
