Jonas Jatta, who was arraigned alongside Serign Kanteh and Robert Jandy, was yesterday cross-examined at the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court before Magistrate Ngube by the police prosecutor, Chief-Inspector Darboe.
The trio were alleged to have conspired to commit a felony by jointly stealing from the store of Aladine Mini-Market goods worth D373, 026, a charged they have denied.
Testifying under-cross examination, the second accused person, Jonas Jatta, told the court that he started working for the complainant since 2003.
He adduced that his relationship with the third accused, Robert Jandy, was to only supply goods to him.
He denied mentioning in his cautionary statement that he and the 1st accused person, Serign Kanteh, were supplying the third accused with goods stolen from the complainant, Hussein Aladine’s store.
When asked how many times they supplied goods to the third accused, the witness told the court that they supplied him with goods about five or four times.
He adduced that they only supplied him with what the complainant gave them.
Asked to whom the third accused was making orders of goods that he wanted, the second accused said that the third accused was not selecting or chosing specific goods.
Asked if he knew the cost of the items that were seized by the police at the third accused person’s mini-market, the second accused replied that he doesn’t know.
At that juncture, the prosecuting officer then put it to him that the goods supplied to the third accused from the complainant worth D135, 000, and the second accused maintained that he does not know.
Asked what means they were using to transport the goods to the third accused, Robert Jandy, the second accused told the court that they were using the complainant’s vehicle, and that the third accused would then pay after, but not on the spot.
It was further put to him that he told the court that the complainant was wicked to him; then why didn’t he quit?
“Yes, he was wicked to us, and sometimes when I wanted to leave the job, the complainant would try to convinced me to come back,” he testified.
The prosecutor again put it to the accused that the complainant helped him to open an account with BSIC Bank, but the accused responded, “It was my own money.”
When further put to him that the complainant gave him a vehicle, he responded, “It was not a good one, and I did not make a butut out of it.”
“Did the complainant not help you to obtain a visa to travel to
He denied that he conspired with Serign Kanteh to steal goods from the complainant’s store.
“Did you give the complainant money, after sales of goods?” the prosecutor asked. “No, it was the goods that were returned to him”, the accused responded.
The hearing continues on 10 October, 2011.
Meanwhile, a bench warrant was issued for the arrest of the first accused, Serign Kanteh, and for him to be remanded in custody.
