Lang
Kulo Jatta, one of the accused persons, in the trial of nine accused persons
accused of disobedience to lawful order Wednesday testified in his defence at
the Brikama Magistrates’ Court before Magistrate P. Sarra.
In his testimony, Jatta told the court that he is the youth mobilizer of the APRC in Kombo Central since 2001, and still holding the position.
He said he also works at the area council and the allegations against him and his co-accused are not true, adding that all his co-accused are all APRC supporters.
According to Jatta, the presidential meeting that was held in Busura village was organized by the APRC members, including his co-accused.
He mobilized more than 20,000 youths in Kombo Central and that the group of youths did not cause any problem during the meeting, neither did his co-accused.
He said if there was any problem caused by the youths or his co- accused, the President would have seen it because there was a video cameraman.
According to him, when the President was coming to Busura village for a meeting, he mobilized the youths for them to clean the meeting venue and fix the flags, banners and the photos of the President and bring some chairs to the meeting venue.
He said as the youth mobilizer, he and his youths used to collaborate with the security to make sure that the meeting was done successfully.
Jatta adduced that during the meeting, when the President came, he was sitting behind the President and his youths were sitting in the middle of the meeting grounds.
He said while he was at the presidential meeting in Busura with co- accused, he heard that the 1st accused person, Lamin Jarju, was arrested and was taken to the Brikama Police Station.
When he went to the police station to know what Jarju was arrested for, the police told him that he was also part of it, and arrested him at the police station, he told the court.
The evidence alleged in court that the women who came to the meeting grounds were all under him was not true, Jatta said, adding that he did not know the then deputy Inspector General of Police, Sambou.
At that juncture, the case was adjourned to 23 February 2015.