Modou Jarju, a resident of Marakisa village, on 28th December 2010 testified in the trial of Omar Faye, the alkalo of Busura village, who was charged with abuse of office before the Brikama Magistrates’ Court presided over by Magistrate Abubacarr Secka.
Testifying as the second prosecution witness, Modou Jarju told the court that, after the dispute of the said land, one Demba Jarju of Busura village invited the governor.
He added that, before that, he first invited the alkalous of the villages of Marakisa, Jalanbang and Naneto Seyone to visit the said land.
According to him, during that visit to the disputed land, the Jarju Kunda family came to notice that their part of the land was also involved.
“The Alkalo of Marakisa village together with elders and the youths called for a meeting, and both agreed that the disputed land belonged to Marakisa village,” he added.
He said that in 2006, he went to Marakisa rice field, and he found a new development within that area, as it was fenced with barbed wire.
Jarju added that he then asked Modou Njie, Kalilu Minteh and Ousman Jatta to accompany him to the accused person, to find out who made the fence.
He said when the accused was asked about the fence at the rice field, he admitted that he was the one who made the fence.
The accused, the witness added, told him that Alieu Jarju, the councillor, and the youths did not protect that area and, therefore, Marakisa village would never have that area.
Still testifying, PW2 told the court that in 2010, he went back to the area and found that the Jarju-Kunda family had developed the area with a house and a well.
“After that visit, a panel was set up to discus how to solve this problem between the three villages, and Jarju Kunda decided to wrIte a petition against the accused person, Omar Faye,” he revealed.
The Jarju-Kunda petition was for the accused to write to the authorities about what happened between the two villages of Marakisa and Busura because they did not want any confrontation between them.
He told the court that the land belongs to Jarju-kunda family, because they inherited it from their grandparents.
The case was adjourned until 3rd January 2011.
