By Louise Jobe
Prosecution witness Edrissa Trawelly has on Tuesday told the Brikama Magistrate’s Court that Farato land dealer Alagie Jobe, used a cutlass on 1st June 2020 to harm one Momodou Kanteh.
Jobe was arrested and charged to Court after violent youths in Farato chased personnel of the Police Intervention Unit in the area.
Trawally testified that on 1st June 2020, they went to Farato with one CID Officer to show him his piece of land, and that upon their arrival at the said land, the accused person (Alagie Jobe) approached them and started to insult them. According to the witness, one Mr Camara called Alagie Jobe’s name and asked him to stop insulting and causing violence. Mr Trawally said Alagie Jobe told Mr. camara that he will not stop creating violence until the day he dies at the land and the government seized the place.
The prosecution witness said on that the day, the accused person was with a group of people who were armed with sticks and stones, adding the defendant asked two people from his group to go to his house and bring a cutlass for him.
He further told the court that as soon as the accused got the cutlass, he aimed to him Mr Camara with it.
He testified: “I then held his hands and in the struggle both of us fell down on the ground. When he escaped from me, he got up and pulled his cutlass, and at this time he used the cutlass to cut PW1 momodou Kanteh at his right hand.”
He added the ladies who were present at the scene, took the cutlass from Alagie Jobe and went to Farato police station and reported the matter.
During cross examination by counsel for the accused person, Trawelly told the court that the land in question belongs to one Sam and he is the one who gave it to the CID Officer and that it was the accused person’s that cutlass injured pw1 Momodou Kanteh.
Ha said he did not know the border between Farato and Bojang kunda, but the said land is between Farato and Bojang Kunda. He said he was with one Hassan Camara, Musa and the CID Officer, adding he saw only one cutlass that was with the accused person. He said he could not identify the person who gave it to the defendant because those present at the scene were many.
He told the court the defendant’s aim was to hurt the first prosecution witness and that is why he used the cutlass to hit him (Momodou Kanteh) when he got up from the ground. He added that the defendant used the cutlass to intentionally hurt Kanteh on his right hand.
The police prosecutor discharged the witness after he was cross examined by counsel for the defendant. The prosecutor applied for adjournment to enable him called his third wetness.
Magistrate P Sowe at this juncture adjourned the matter to Thursday 10th September 2020.
