Seedy
Camara, an NIA officer attached to the Office of the President, Wednesday
testified in an ongoing economic crime case involving the former coordinator of
WAAPP, Sheikh Tijan Sosseh, before Justice Emmanuel Ahmadi of the Special Criminal
Court.
Designated as the second prosecution witness (PW2), officer Camara told the court he came to know the accused, Sheikh Tijan Sosseh, through his investigation assignment relating to the EU grant to the Gambia Emergency Agriculture Production and Productivity project.
He said based on the directive of the IGP and the DG of the NIA, a seven-man panel was constituted by the police and the NIA to look into the fund study of the construction and rehabilitation of the Seed Multiplication Centre, seed stores, purchase of fertilizer, and farm input respectively.
“I headed the panel and upon directives, the accused and other witnesses were invited by the panel to give their statements on their knowledge about the activities of the project,” he added.
He said the accused, Sheikh Tijan Sosseh, was also invited by the panel. He added that was questioned on the activities of the project and later summoned to write his voluntary statement, which was attended by one Essa Sowe, who was a member of the panel.
Both the cautionary and voluntary statements were also obtained from him, he said, adding that one of the panel members was a consultant from the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Malang Jammeh, who left to visit the project site, but was there to evaluate the work at the project.
He adduced that when the team returned, they came with a report and after the completion of the investigation, the report was forwarded to the Attorney General Chambers.
The witness identified the said report and the state counsel applied to tender the report as ID and it was admitted.
The cautionary and voluntary statements were also admitted as ID.
The case was adjourned till 26 May 2014.
