Testifying, the prosecution witness Omar Tunkara stated that on 7thAugust 2008 he was on duty when he was asked by the officer commanding the investigation unit to obtain cautionary statements from the accused persons. He said prior to obtaining the statements he interrogated the accused persons, adding that it was during the interrogation that the 2ndaccused Abdou Rahman Bah told him that he had given the 1staccused, Oley Sey, the sum of D400,000 out of the D500,000 that was given to him by the president through the Department of State for Basic and Secondary Education for the completion of James Junkung Jammeh Memorial Nursery School situated at Abuko, and he (Rahman) retained the D100,000.
Further testifying, the witness told the court that he was also told by the 2ndaccused Abdou Rahman Bah that he had spent D20, 000 out of the D100, 000 that was retained by him. He said the balance of D80,000 was later recovered from the accused Abdou Rahman Bah, stating that the 2ndaccused's brother brought in the D20,000 in order to complete the D100,000 that was retained by the accused person. He added that in total D100, 000 was recovered from the 2ndaccused Abdou Rahman Bah. He said when the 1staccused, Oley Sey, was interrogated she denied being given D400,000 by the 2ndaccused , but confessed to having been given the sum of D200,000 by her co-accused Abdou Rahman Bah for safe keeping. He said the sum of D200,000 was recovered from the 1staccused Oley Sey. He said later he obtained the cautionary statements from the accused persons at the NIA Investigation Unit in the presence of an independent witness, one Babucarr Khan.
It will be recalled that the accused persons were alleged to have conspired and stolen the sum of D500,000 being the money donated by President Jammeh to Sulayman Junkung Jammeh nursery School situated at Abuko.
The case was presided by Magistrate Lamin George.
The hearing continues today.
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