Detective 1st Class 3413 Ousman M. Sonko, a police officer attached to Serrekunda Police Station Serious Crime Unit, recently testified in the trial of one Ebrima Ndure who was charged with shop-breaking and stealing.
Testifying before Magistrate Ceesay of the Kanifing Magistrates' Court, detective Sonko told the court that he knew the accused, and could recall what happened on 9th August 2010.
According to him, on the day in question the accused was brought to the charge office at the Serrekunda Police Station on charges of shop-breaking and stealing.
He said he obtained a cautionary and voluntary statement from the accused person in the presence of an independent witness, one Dodou Jatta.
The prosecution's third witness told the court that he recorded the statement, and later interpreted it in the Wollof language to the satisfaction of the accused person, who thumb printed the cautionary statement, and the independent witness also signed it.
He further adduced that he charge the accused for shop-breaking and stealing on the voluntary statement, and that the accused was aware of the charge and thump printed the voluntary statement, which the independent witness also signed.
According to the charge sheet, on count one, on 9th August 2010 at London Corner Serrekunda in the
Count two stated that the accused, Ebrima Ndure, after breaking, entered and then stole the following items: 27 bottles of cough syrup whose value is unknown, one stand fan value unknown, a dozen cough syrups value unknown, a dozen Ampicillins value unknown, seven cyprodine syrups value unknown, all being the properties of the said Samba Sey.
Hearing continues.
