Driver opens defence

In his evidence, the accused, Ensa Saidy, told the court he lives at Kerr Sering and he is a tourist taxi driver, with a four-wheel drive Nissan Patrol.

He stated that he had been a tourist taxi driver for twenty years, further positing that he is based at Senegambia car park.

He said he could identify Yunus Komma, the complainant, adding that something transpired between him and one white lady.

He testified that the first time he got to see the white lady was when she came to the garage with Yunus Komma.

He testified that on 8 November 2013, the white lady came to the garage at Senegambia with Yunus Komma and told him they wanted to go to McCarthy.

He further narrated that they agreed on a price of D20,000 for two nights, adding that they left him and went to the hotel and told him they would call him in the evening.

He said Yunus Komma phoned him and told him they would be leaving at 10.30 a.m. to meet at the Baobab Hotel, adding that he met them the following morning at the gate of the Baobab Hotel.

He testified that as they were about to depart, Yunus Komma told him to take them to Palma Rima Hotel because he wanted to meet someone there.

He adduced that they alighted from his car when they arrived at the Palma Rima Hotel and entered another taxi, adding that they later came back to his taxi.

Ensa Saidy testified that Yunus Komma then told him they wanted to meet somebody who was doing money exchange, adding that they did not tell him how much money they changed.

He said further that Yunus Komma told him to go to Kairaba Shopping Centre, where they told him they wanted to do some shopping and he stopped the car there.

He adduced that when they entered the shopping centre, Yunus Komma told him to go with him so he could assist them to carry the bags for them.

He said Yunus Komma also asked him to park the car opposite the shopping centre, which he did.

He also said Yunus Komma and the white lady did not leave anything in the car when they entered the shopping centre with them, after locking the car.

He further testified that Yunus Komma and the white lady informed him that there was some thousands of dalasis in the taxi, adding that the white lady did not mention anything to him like laptop, passport or air ticket when they left for the shopping centre.

He said it was only Yunus Komma who was carrying a school bag, and that the white lady had a wallet when they were going to the shopping centre.

“It is not true that Yunus Komma warned me before they alighted from the car that there were important things in the car,” he told the court. At this juncture, Omar Njie, the defence counsel, who was leading the accused, applied to the court to adjourn the case to continue to lead his client.

Magistrate Bojang then adjourned the case till 22 April 2014.