3 Defence Witnesses Testify in Suso's Trial

The defence in the ongoing false information case involving Musa Suso, the former National Assembly for Kombo North, yesterday opened its defence at the Bundung Magistrates' Court.

Yesterday's proceedings saw the testimonies of three defence witnesses.

First to testify was one Dembo Jatta, who told the court that he lives in Yundum, less than 20 meters from the Airport.

When asked by Defence Counsel Lamin Jobarteh whether he could remember seeing any large object around the Airport fence between the months of May, June and July of 2003, he answered in the positive. He adduced that he could remember seeing a "dead carcass".

Further asked about the colour of the carcass, he replied that he did not go near to ascertain its colour. He told the court that the carcass had been there for some two days, when it was later picked up by a white truck.

As he testified, those who came to carry it were in prison colours, and that the truck was followed by a black vehicle with dark-tinted glasses, that headed towards Banjul.

When put to him under cross-examination by the Prosecutor Superintendent Tijan Badjie that as stated in his testimony, his compound's fence is less than 20 metres from the Airport is not true, Mr. Jatta responded that the testimony is the truth.

When quizzed whether he saw a dead bull loaded into a white truck, Mr. Jatta again responded in the positive maintaining his position. 

Asked where he was at that point in time, he adduced that he was at the roadside.

Sergeant Sadibou Jarjue, a Prison Officer, was the next to testify. He told the court that he has been working in Prisons Department for 15 years, 8 months now.

He told the court that he knows something about dead bull, which he adduced to have first seen at Yundum Airport, somewhere around the start of two lanes of the fence. Sergeant Jarjue told the court that he was sent together with Salifu Jarjue (the driver), Saikou Saidy and Yankuba Fatty, who were then recruits, Tapha Nying and Ebrima Keita (inmates) to go and collect the dead bull, with a truck (numbered GPS 10).

According to him, "during the process of carrying the dead bull, David Colley, the Prisons boss, passed them communicating on phone with his boss, Salifu Jarjue".

He testified that the dead bull was actually taken to Mile 2, and upon arrival there one M. L. Manneh ordered the prisoners to skin it off, but Tapha Nying refused. Consequent upon this, he said, M.L. Manneh  ordered him to put Nying into a cell as a form of punishment.

He told the court that he had left the place after skinning off the bull, but did not know what had actually happened with the meat.

Under cross-examination by the Prosecutor, Sergeant Jarjue maintained that he heard his boss, Salifu Jarjue talking to someone over the phone. He said when asked whom he was talking to, he said it was Oga (meaning David Colley).

The third to testify was one Ebrima Keita, a former inmate at Mile 2 prison.

Mr. Keita told the court that he had been an inmate at Mile 2 for 7 years from 1999, and had been attached to the kitchen. He testified that sometime in 2003, he was selected to be part of a team that were despatched to go to Yundum to pick up a dead bull.

"The colour of that swollen dead bull is ash," he told the court.

"I was asked to skin it. I called one Tapha Nying and two Fula boys, of whom I cannot remember their names. After skinning the bull David Colley (Director-General at the Prison) took two behind legs and put at the back of his vehicle," he adduced. The case continues today.