One Modou Sey recently testified in the trial involving one Saibou Sanneh, accused of obtaining money by false pretence, at the Brikama Magistrates’ Court before Magistrate Baldeh.
In his testimony, Mr Sey told the court that some time in August 2015, while he was at Basse, he called his neighbour, one Abdoulie Joof, and told him that if he sees any one who was selling a plot of land, let him inform him.
Before the end of August, Abdoulie Joof called him and told him that he saw someone who has land for sale at Busumbala Daru, and he would go to the accused, Saibou Sanneh, for him (the complainant) to talk to him on the phone.
According to him, he talked to the accused and the accused person told him on the phone that it was true that he has land for sale at a cost of D80,000. Sey said he told the accused to reduce it, because he was only having D40,000.
They later agreed on D50,000.
In September, he went to his office at MRC to borrow D40,000 and he went with AdoulieJ oof and one of his friends to the accused person’s house.
According to Mr Sey, they went together with the accused person to the Busumbala Alkalo for transfer of the land documents, and at the Alkalo’s compound he called his stepmother to come and serve as a witness in the transfer of the land documents.
The Alkalo then asked the accused person whether he was the owner and he said he was the owner, adding that the Alkalo made the transfer documents and they all dispersed.
He said he went to the area council to pay rate and tax, which cost him D1, 100.
Then the accused person one day called him and told him that the land he sold to him belonged to one Bakary Nyassi, and that Bakary Nyassi also sold it to another person without his knowledge (the accused person).
The accused further told him that he should leave that land and would give him another plot of land.
He informed his parent, who told him to insist on the said land because this was the land sold to him, and which he did as advised.
When he started to develop the land, a CID officer came and asked him to stop work on the land, as the land belonged to Bakary Nyassi, who got the land from the Jobe kunda family.
At the police station at Old Yundum, the police told him to produce his land documents, which he did.
They asked Bakary Nyassi also to produce his own, but Bakary told them that someone was bringing them to the police.
He did not see Bakary Nyassi’s land documents, although, he told the court, he was told that Bakary also brought his land documents to the police.
At that juncture, the police prosecutor applied to tender the land documents before the court, and also the rate and the tax payment documents from the area council, the receipt for the money he spent on developing the said land, and the receipt of transfer of ownership.
However, the area council rate and the tax payment documents were rejected because the documents contained two different dates.
Hearing continues.
