The case involving Abdoulie Mbye alias Erfy Mbye and Monodou Jarju alias Rongo, resumed yesterday at the Banjul Magistrates’ court with the cross-examination of the sixth prosecution witness, by the defence.
Rongo and Efry Mbye are being tried for giving false information, making false documents, uttering false documents and prohibition of conduct conducive to a breach of the peace.
Continuing his testimony under cross-examination, the sixth prosecution witness (PW6) Alieu Ndure, told the court that the investigation was carried out with the community policing tactic.
Asked what community policing tactic means, the witness said it entailed sorting out the issues locally at the police level, by calling members of the council of elders of Banjulnding, including the first accused person, Rongo.
He added that the investigation was done by many police officers including Lamin J. Gassama and Sheriff Sanneh.
PW6 further stated that when the accused persons were called to the agency, they asked them to unite to select the council of elders in Banjulnding, and to forget their differences and become as one family.
Asked by the defence counsel whether it was correct that the NDEA dissolved the council of elders in Banjulnding, he replied in the negative.
The witness said Rongo had some members like Malang Badjie, who were appointed by Sheriff Colley, as members of the council of elders in Banjulnding without the consent of the villagers.
When asked to name the members of the council of elders in Banjulnding, PW6 said he could remember only Malang Badjie.
He added that the imam of Banjulnding is one of the current members of the council of elders.
Told that Rongo had never organized any meetings in Banjulnding, the witness told the court that the investigation had shown that he organized meetings in Banjulnding, which could have been jointly organized with Malang Badjie.
Counsel then put it to him that both the first and second prosecution witnesses did tell the court that Malang Badjie organized the meetings, instead of Rongo.
PW6 in response said that Rongo jointly organized meetings with Malang Badjie.
He denied that the NDEA dissolved the council of elders in Banjulnding, but made their own selection, when the elders were called to the agency’s Holgam office in Kanifing.
He told the court that he has being in the investigation unit of the National Drug Enforcement Agency for nearly two years.
Shown a list of names and their thumbprints, and asked whether Rongo’s name and thumbprint was on it, PW6 told the court that Rongo’s name was not listed, but could not assert whether his thumbprint was not.
He added that exhibit C was the letter written by Rongo to one Pa Malick Faye, Managing Director of Observer Company, for publication, and another letter was for the Office of the President at the State House, which was given to Efry Mbye.
However, he said, Efry Mbye denied being given any letter by Rongo.
He said that he believed that Rongo did not adhere to the advice given to them at the Office of the President, otherwise he would not have written a separate letter to that office.
The case was at that juncture adjourned till 5 January 2012.
