The police prosecutor, Sergeant Manga, yesterday announced the closing of the prosecution’s case in the ongoing false information trial involving Abdoulie Tambedou, former Managing Director of the Gambia Ports Authority (GPA) at the Banjul Magistrates’ Court before acting Principal Magistrate Dawda Jallow.
This was after the testimonies of the prosecution’s fifth witness (PW5), Momodou Lamin Gibba, the current GPA Managing Director and one Jung Keita, an ex-employee of the ports.
Mr Tambedou faces a four-count charge, all relating to giving false information to a public officer, charges he denied.
Testifying, Momodou Lamin Gibba told the court that he is the Managing Director of the Gambia Ports Authority, and was in September 2012 called at police headquarters in Banjul in connection with the petition written by the accused person.
He added that when he reported to the police, they told him that the accused person had written a petition to the President, alleging that indiscipline was being meted out to him by the associates and relatives of his predecessor, by way of making derogatory remarks towards him and the GPA management with intent to make the GPA ungovernable.
Mr Gibba said he told the police that he was not aware of that, and the police asked him to write a statement to that effect, which he did.
One Jung Keita also testified as the sixth prosecution witness (PW6), and told the court that he resides in Yundum, in the West Coast Region.
He further told the court that he recognised the accused person as the former managing director of the Gambia Ports Authority (GPA).
“In September 2012, I was at home when the police at police headquarters called me to report. Upon my arrival, I was asked what I knew about the accused person. I told them that I knew nothing about this case,” Mr Keita told the court.
When asked by the prosecuting officer whether he gave a statement to the police, the witness told the court that they asked him whether he knew one Lamin Sanyang and Ebou Gibba , and that he replied in the affirmative.
“The police further asked me whether Lamin Sanyang and Ebou Gibba harassed the accused person. I told them that I did not know anything about that, and I am not aware of any problem between the accused and the above-mentioned people,” he said.
At that juncture, defence counsel Lamin Camara told the court that the defence intended to file a no-case-to answer submission on behalf of the accused person.
The case was then adjourned till 5 March 2013.
The particulars of offence on count one read that Abdoulie Tambedou, on 13 August 2012 in Banjul within the jurisdiction of the court, wrote a petition letter with reference number GPA/MD (1) to the Office of the President, alleging that indiscipline is being meted out to him by the associates and relatives of his predecessor, Momodou Lamin Gibba, by way of making derogatory remarks towards him and the GPA management with intent to make the GPA ungovernable for him, which information he knew to be false at the time.
Count two stated that Abdoulie Tambedou, on 13 August 2012, in Banjul, within the jurisdiction of the court, wrote a letter with reference number GPA/MD (1) to the Office of the President that he had actually informed his predecessor, Momodou Lamin Gibba of the problems he had with his alleged relatives and associates in which he distanced himself from their actions, information he knew to be false at the time.
Count three stated that Abdoulie Tambedou, on 13 August 2012, in Banjul, within the jurisdiction of the court, wrote a letter with reference number GPA/MD (1) to the Office of the President, that if he had taken an action against Lamin Sanyang and Ebou Gibba, the duo would have definitely written to the President’s office complaining of tribalism, information he knew to be false at the time.
Count four stated that Abdoulie Tambedou, some time in December, 2012, at the Police Headquarters in Banjul, within the jurisdiction of the court, he allegedly told the panel of investigators that Lamin L. Sanyang attempted to knock him down with his car during one of his visits to the PWD container terminal in July 2012, information he knew to be false.
