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British national’s case progresses

Jun 6, 2014, 10:43 AM | Article By: Dawda Faye

The case involving Reginald Thompson, a British national, charged with common nuisance and destroying evidence, continued Monday before Magistrate Tabally of the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court with another prosecution witness.

Sergeant 273 Lamin T. Bojang, the witness, told the court he is a police officer attached to CID Kotu Police station.

He testified that he recognised the accused person, adding that between 20 and 23 March 2014, a case of common nuisance and destroying evidence was reported at the TSU in Senegambia and later referred to Kotu Police Station.

He adduced that on their arrival at Kotu Police Station, the complainant, one Amanda, said the accused was found with a laptop watching pornographic films.

He posited that a case file was compiled at the charge office and later sent to CID for further investigation.

Officer Bojang said both the accused and the complainant were confronted, adding that the complainant was the head of students from the UK and lodged at the Palma Rima Hotel.

He testified that the complainant stated that she was very angry because she was told by two students that an elderly man was sitting and playing pornography on his laptop.

He said she came out and found the accused playing pornography, adding that she went to the management and reported the matter.

He added that the complainant said the volume was loud but nothing came of it.

Officer Bojang told the court that on 21 March 2014, the accused did the same thing and the complainant went back to the management and reported the accused again, adding that it was until 23 March 2014, when the complainant decided to report the matter to the TSU.

He adduced that some officers went to the Palma Rima Hotel and proceeded to Room 103 to search for the accused and they found him in the room but had already broken the laptop and dumped it in a dustbin.

Sergeant Bojang testified that the officers took the laptop to the TSU, adding that they checked the laptop and later took it to the police headquarters.

At this juncture, he was asked to describe the colour of the laptop, which he described as ash and black.

The said laptop was shown to him to identify, which he did.

Sergeant 3560 Colley applied to tender the laptop and Moses Richards, who was defending the accused, did not raise any objection.

Magistrate Tabally admitted the laptop as an exhibit.

The prosecuting officer, Sergeant 3560 Colley, announced the closure of the prosecution’s case.

Moses Richards then cross-examined the witness, and told the court the defence would not call any witness.