Charges for Bun Sanneh and Co. Increased to 30

• Posted by Modou S. Joof on May 13, 2010 at 10:04pm
• View Modou S. Joof's blog

Defence Bail Application Over-Rule, PW1 Testified

Banjul, The Gambia (TNBES) The Director of Public Prosecution Richard N. Chenge yesterday filed additional charges against Bun Sanneh and four others from twenty-seven to thirty Counts of conspiracy to
commit felony, stealing by person, economic crime, and forgery at the High Court in Banjul.

The presiding judge, Emmanuel Amadi also over-ruled the bail application file by the defence counsels on the 3^rd May 2010 to secure bail for the accused persons, while Thursday’s sitting also witnessed the testimony of the First Prosecution Witness (PW1), Alieu Samba, a Contractor from the town of Brikama.

In his testimony, Alieu Samba told the Court that he knew two of the accused persons Bun Sanneh and Seedou Bojang (1^st and 5^th accused persons). He told the Court that he was in London during the month of Ramadan in 2009 with his family where he received a called from a man who identified himself as Pa Bojang working with the National Drug Enforcement Agency (NDEA).

According to him, Pa Bojang told him that the NDEA needed hand cuffs and gas sprays and asked him if he can provide the items for the (Drug Squad) NDEA. He inform the Court
that he told Pa Bojang that he can find hand cuffs for him, but he need to
provide a document with a letterhead from the NDEA for him to believe
that is NDEA who requested for the hand cuffs. He added that the document and the letterhead
was fax to him in England and he took it to the gentleman who used to finance
him, noting that after looking at the document, the man told him ‘well is your country I will help
you’.

Samba said after sometime, he return to The Gambia, arriving on a Friday and went to the Police Headquarters in Banjul on the following Monday and later proceeded to NDEA Office
to look for Pa Bojang.

According to him, when he saw him, Pa Bojang told him that his boss had traveled but when he came back he will call him to come and meet with his boss. He told the Court
that after a week, Pa Bojang called to inform him that his boss is back and he
can come to meet him. He explained that upon arrival at the NDEA Office, Pa Bojang
took him to his boss’s office, whom he said happens to be Bun Sanneh and he
asked him what the price of a handcuff was.

He further added that he told Bun Sanneh, the 1^st accused that a single handcuff costs one thousand three hundred (D1, 300) each and Bun replied to him “no, no, no
leave it to D1000 each”, to which, he (PW1) agrees, for 350, 000 handcuffs.

He said after their agreement, Bun called his accountant Seedou Bojang (5^th accused person) and told him to prepare an invoice for PW1 for the three hundred and fifty handcuffs, to which
he agreed.

He said after two days, he went to the treasurer with Seedou Bojang (5th accused), submitted an invoice and a cheque of D350, 000 and Seedou asked him to go with him in
their office and told him that he is deducting 10 percent from the money .

He said that upon their arrival, Seedou Bojang opened a blue book and wrote something and asked him to signed which he did and the cheque of three hundred and fifty
thousand Dalasis was handed over to him.

PW1 told the Court that he took his cheque to the Standard Bank in Banjul to save it in his account but the Bank told him that they are going to verify the cheque before paying it to his
account and that was done and the money was paid into his account.

According to him, he went back to England for sometime and when he returned, he met with Bun Sanneh at the Police Headquarters
and the later asked him about the handcuffs and he told him that am still on
the process.

He told the Court that Bun further told him that one of their relative died in Foni and that he need thirty thousand dalasi from him (PW1), but he, PW1 feel very threaten and
he rust to the Bank and withdrew thousand dalasi and took it Bun’s office.

He added that after a while, Bun Sanneh called him an asked him about the handcuffs but he told him that he did not received them yet and Bun told him that he need some amount of
money, but he told Bun that he did not have money with him.

He told the Court that he was unable to provide the handcuffs for them because of certain problems with his suppliers in China
and he return all the money to the Director of NDEA and told him, ‘keep the
money here anytime he bring the handcuffs you can give me the money’.

Cross-examination by Lawyer Kebba Sanyang

Sanneh: Mr. Samba, is it correct that you were arrested and charge before this Court in this case?

Samba: Yes, I was called at the NIA Office and charged.

Sanyang: Is it correct that you were detained at Mile 2?

Samba: Yes sir.

Sanyang: For how long were you in detention?

Samba: Two days, sir.

Sanyang: Apart from Mile 2, were you detained anywhere else?

Samba: Yes, I was detained at the NIA Office.

Sanyang: When were you taken from Mile 2 to the NIA Office?

Samba: On 29^th April.

Sanyang: Is it correct that since 29^th April up to date you are under detention at the NIA Office?

Samba: Yes, I was.

The Case has been adjourned till 18^th May, 2010 for continuation of the cross-examination. Vol:2 Issn:182