Concealment of treason case continues

The trial on charges of concealment of treason, involving Alieu Lowe and Abdoulie Njie, yesterday continued at the Special Criminal Court in Banjul with the testimony of the third prosecution witness.

Testifying in a voire-dire trial, Babou Loum, told the court he is a video operator and that, on 19 April 2006, he received a telephone call from one Sergeant Ndure of the Major Crime Unit, informing him that he (Loum) was needed at the unit at Police headquarters in Banjul.

He added that upon his arrival there, he was asked to go to the NIA headquarters.

“At the NIA, I found detective Inspector Abdoulie Sowe, who introduced me to Alieu Lowe, and further asked Alieu Lowe to narrate all what he knew about the 2006 foiled coup plot,” Loum stated.

Loum further adduced that he told the accused, Alieu Lowe, not to panic because he (Loum) was there as an independent witness, adding that Alieu Lowe narrated everything he knew about the failed coup in the Wollof language, and it was recorded by detective Inspector Sowe.

He added that Lowe thumb-printed the statement, and he signed as the independent witness while Sowe signed as the recording officer.

Designated as the third prosecution witness in the voir-dire, Loum told the court that when the content of the statement was read to the accused person, Alieu Lowe, he accepted.

Under cross-examination, the witness told the court that he met Alieu Lowe at the NIA for the first time, and the second time was at the Mile 2 State Central Prison.

The witness insisted that the signatures in the statement of Alieu Lowe were his signatures.

At that juncture, the defence counsel applied to the court for the witness to sample his signature, and for it to be forwarded to the hand-writing expert for analysis as to whether the signature in the statement and sample of the signature are the same.

His application was upheld, and the case continues on 28 May 2012.