Defence opened recently in a drug trial involving one Edirisa Colley at the Brikama Magistrates’ Court before Magistrate Secka.
Edirisa Colley, who was charged with being in possession of prohibited drugs, said that on 18 June 2012, he returned from work and was told there were some people from the police who went to his residence.
He said he did not believe those who told him that because they were kids, but outsiders also told him that some police officers came to his residence and arrested a girl and took her away.
DW1 said the children also said the same officers went to arrest his mother and they also told him that the officers had taken something from their home.
He said according to the children, when the officers came, they were playing but they stopped and watched them conduct the search.
After conducting the search, the girl they met there told them the owner of the compound was out and they took her along with them, and she led them to where his mother was, who was also arrested, he said.
He said when he went to inquire about her mother, he was told she was at the Bulldozer base in Banjul and when he reached there, he told them they should release his mother and put him in her place.
“They took something out of the plastic bag and asked me if it belonged to me, and I said no because I was not there when they conducted the search,” the accused told the court.
He said they asked if they could record his statement and he asked them why because when they arrived at his home, he was not around.
DW1 also adduced that he told them he could not write but could speak and they would do the writing, and then they called the girl they arrested earlier to be their witness.
“The prosecution witnesses did not even state in their evidence that I was arrested at the scene and when they went to my house, they only found children and the girl they arrested. They never found me to be in possession of these drugs,” Colley said.
He added that the whole thing was a surprise to him because drugs had never been his job and that he went to the NDEA office because his mother was arrested.
Hearing continues on 3 July 2013.
