The criminal trial of a 64-year-old British national, Edwin Arthur Levender, and his Gambian accomplice, Jalikatou Bah, continued on Wednesday 10th February 2010 at the Bundung Magistrates' Court. The two are standing trial for allegedly exposing their private parts on 17th November 2009, at Palma Rima beach, a charge both denied.
When the case was called before magistrate George, the accused persons applied for an adjournment on grounds that their defence counsel was not in court.
In response, Chief Inspector Mballow, the prosecuting officer submitted that the defence counsel did not advance any reason as to his absence, and further submitted that he was ready to proceed with his witness.
The trial magistrate upheld the prosecution's application and allowed the case to proceed.
Testifying before the court, Corporal Tomani Manneh, a soldier posted to the Senegambia Security Unit, told the court that he could recognise the accused persons and could also recall what happened on 17th November 2009, at around 11.30 am.
According to corporal Manneh, on the day in question, he was on duty at the Palma Rima Beach Hotel at around 11.30 am together with his colleagues, when one Kawsu Suwareh approached him with a camera which, according to him (Suwareh) was taken from the accused persons.
Corporal Manneh added that Kawsu Suwareh further told him that he found the first accused taking photos of the second accused, while she (the second accused) was naked.
There and then, he said, he and his colleagues went to meet the accused persons at the scene, and later escorted them to one of the photo labs in Serrekunda where they printed and developed the pictures, and confirmed them together with their negatives.
Subsequently, he added, the accused persons were arrested and taken to the security unit's office at Senegambia.
The camera and the 21 pictures were later tendered in court as exhibits.
The case was adjourned to 1st March 2010 to give the defence counsel an opportunity to cross-examine the prosecution witness.
