Ebrima Jawara is being tried on a single-count charge of punishment for malicious injuries, at the Banjul Magistrates’ Court.
Continuing his testimony under cross-examination by defence counsel Modou Drammeh, the police investigator, Sub-inspector Sanyang testified that he had been in the police service for eleven years and had been with the serious crime unit for eight years.
He headed the investigation of the case of Mr Jawara, and said all the facts presented in the investigation report were “true and correct”.
Counsel put it to him that the only fact stated in the investigation report was that the accused was the coordinator for Central Project Coordinating Unit (CPCU) under the Ministry of Agriculture.
“All I stated is true,” said the witness.
Counsel further put it to him that the CPCU is a self-accounting entity and, therefore, the accused had the authority as the budget holder to change cylinder of the lock to his office.
“I never knew that CPCU is a self-accounting entity unit,” replied the witness.
“Is it not true that Mr Jawara did not physically change the cylinder himself, but that a carpenter changed it?”
“Yes that’s true.”
“Did you ascertain who instructed the carpenter to change the cylinder?”
“Upon request by the accused, the cylinder was changed.”
“I am putting it to you that it was Ismaila Bojang and Ndey Fatou Trawally who called and instructed the carpenter to change the cylinder.”
“That’s not true.”
Reading the investigation report, lawyer Drammeh said Mr Jawara was facing criminal charges pertaining to misconduct at the said office.
“Can you tell the court for which office was Mr Jawara facing charges for misconduct?”
In reply, the witness said the Central Projects Coordinating Unit.
“I am putting it to you that you are not correct?”
“That’s not true.”
He added that the accused was facing criminal charges connected with the office he was previously occupying.
“I am further putting it to you that before this case were filed against the accused, he was charged for his role as project coordinator of the Rural Finance Project (RFP), a post he held from December 2010 to June 2011 and not for his conduct as CPCU coordinator, which he assumed in July 2015.”
“I don’t know that.”
PW1 further testified that he didn’t know whether the Rural Finance Project ended in December 2014 nor did he know where it was located.
“As the IPO, did you ascertain how the police obtained the keys to the CPCU coordinator’s office?”
“I know that during the course of the investigations the keys were with the police.”
“I put it to you that the police took the keys from Mr Jawara without any formalities.”
“I don’t know.”
“I am putting it to you that the charge he was facing at the time of the report was in connection with the Rural Finance Project.”
“Yes.”
“Did the police inform the Ministry of Agriculture that they were seizing one set of the keys to the CPCU coordinator’s office?”
“I don’t know.”
“Was there an order from the police prohibiting anyone entering the CPCU coordinator’s office?
“I don’t know.”
“During the course of the investigations, did you know that Permanent Secretary No.2, Sheriffoe Bojang, was present at CPCU when the cylinder of the lock was changed?”
“I don’t know about that.”
“Can you tell the court the extent of damage caused to the cylinder of the lock?”
“We visited the place after days and discovered that the cylinder of the office was already replaced, and there was no sign of damage to the door.”
“There was never any damage to the lock or the door?”
“I wouldn’t know because we visited the place days after the cylinder was replaced.”
At that juncture, the matter was adjourned until 8 March 2016.
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