Defence
opened recently in an assault case involving one Abdoukarim Conteh, a resident
of Kerr Serign, at the Bundung Magistrates’ Court before Magistrate Ibrahim
Kijera.
The accused told the court he was a promoter at the Senegambia Beach, as he welcomes guests.
He denied the charge of assaulting a police officer who was in due execution of his duty and also denied the charge of obstructing a police officer who was carrying his investigation.
The witness told the court that the police came to effect arrest on someone whom he shared the same compound with, adding that when the police officer went to their residence, the old woman who was in the compound said her son would not go anywhere.
The old woman was a high blood patient who later collapsed, DW1 said, adding that the officers who went to effect arrest on PW4, Burama Joof, were in a vehicle and the old woman insisted that her son was not going anywhere.
“I told the police that if they give notice to Burama Joof, he, Joof, would go and answer to the police, but they should not go for the suspect like that. They should let Joof report to the station,” DW1 said.
DW1 further told the court that he was trying to talk to the police but when he opened the door of the vehicle, the arresting officer asked him whether he was mad, and the officer told him to go to the police station.
“I told the officer that I would not go to the station since I commit no crime. The arresting officer started pushing me, telling me that I have to go to the station. He tried to lift me, and I also struggled to free myself from him in order to create a distance,” DW1 further told the court.
The other officer also approached him, telling him that he had to go by force, and one of the officer pushed him until he was about to fall, he said.
“I also held on to his shoulder and the buttons on the shoulder of his uniform were detached from the uniform. It was after that I was advised by the crowd to leave the compound. I then left the compound for the neighbouring compound where I sat for some time. They came for me and told me that I was under arrest,” he explained.
Upon my arrival at the station, I was slapped by the station officer, and he ordered for my detention in the cell. I was placed in the cell and later granted bail. After some time, I was told that the case was going to court.
