Complainant testifies in driver’s trial

The first prosecution witness (PW1), Haddy Jawo, Thursday testified in the trial involving one Lamin Gaye, accused of stealing before Magistrate Fatou Darboe of the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court.

In her testimony, Haddy Jawo told the court she recognised the accused and could recall what happened on 4 May 2014.

She said on the day in question, between 10 pm and 11pm, she was from a ceremony at Brikama and when she reached Westfield, she met the accused with his vehicle.

She said she told the accused that she wanted to hire his car for a town trip to Bundung and they agreed on D75, adding that she told the accused they would be passing by Pa Jeng’s restaurant by then she was sitting on the front seat.

Ms Jawo further told the court that when they reached the said restaurant, she left her bag and items in the taxi and went to the restaurant, adding that while she was crossing the road, she saw the accused driving and she took the number plate BJL 2894G.

According to her, she called one Ali that she could not buy dinner again as she was having only D100 and the taxi driver had left with her belongings.

She said Ali advised her to go to the Serrekunda Police Station to give her statement and she also gave them the registration of the taxi number plate.

She said the next day, she went to her client-taxi driver to inform him that one taxi driver went with her belongings and gave him the registration number.

She added that her client-taxi driver told her he and the accused were from the same garage and he gave her the accused’s telephone number.

She said she and her friend called the accused but it was her friend who spoke to the accused that they needed a trip to Bundung court while they were at the Bundung Police Station.

She stated that when the accused arrived, she called the police man who came with some officers and escorted the accused to the station.

She said the matter was later transferred to Serrekunda Police Station, adding that she and the CID officer went to the accused’s house at Coastal Road where she saw the orange jumper and the shoe the accused was wearing on the day of the incident.

She adduced that none of her belonging was found in the accused’s house.