One Alhagie Jobe, the third accused, Monday continued his evidence-in-chief in the trial involving him and one Alhagie Ceesay, Boto Badjie, Kebba Drammeh and Mamadi Keita, accused of disobedience to lawful order, criminal trespass and obstruction, at the Brikama Magistrates’ Court before Magistrate Omar Cham.
Continuing his evidence, Jobe told the court that when the court officer and the PIU officers came to demolish their market at Farato village, they did not show them any document that indicated that the market should be demolished.
He said the allegation against him and his co-accused persons was not true, because they did not disobey any court order or obstructed the court officials in performing their duty.
He further told the court that when the officers came to demolish the said market, all the villagers came out because they were surprised, adding that when the officers were demolishing the market, none of the villagers did anything.
According to him, five of them were standing and watching the officers demolishing the market, which was the time the officers said they were disturbing them on their work.
Some of them were arrested but not on the same date, he said, adding that Mamadi Keita and Kebba Drammeh were not among them.
He said Mamadi Keita went for taxi driving and Kebba Drammeh was at a tailoring shop with his friend.
He said he and his co-accused persons never went to Bundung Cadi court with anybody.
Under cross-examination by the police prosecutor Sgt 1343 Camara, the accused person told the court he knew the land matter before the court, and that the said land was situated at Bafuloto village.
The police prosecutor put it to him that the said land was situated at Farato not in Bafuloto, but the accused denied that.
He said the land in question was given to them by the late Alkalo of Bafuloto village, Alhagie Manku Saidy, as reserved land for their market.
The prosecutor said the said land was not given to them by the late Alkalo Manku Saidy, because the alkalo did not even have the privilege to give that land because it was not in his jurisdiction, but the accused maintained that the late alkalo of Bafuloto gave them the land 20 years ago.
The case continues.