Ensa Badjie & co trial resumes

The trial on multiple criminal charges involving Ensa Badjie, Lt. Col Mam Matarr Secka and Major Kuluteh Manneh, resumed yesterday at the Special Criminal Court in Banjul.

Testifying under cross-examination, Neyma Ceesay, the eighth prosecution witness (PW8), told the court that when he and Sillaba went to the Yundum army camp they did not meet the 3rd accused person there.

He insisted that he once gave tiles to the 3rd accused, but denied knowing the reason why Sillaba’s wife was called by the military police.

The witness stated that he was once invited at the Kotu Police Station together with Sillaba, and they were detained overnight and later taken to the Banjul police headquarters where they spent four days.

He added that he did not know the reason for his detention, but he was later told that it was because he was very close to Sillaba.

“I could not ascertain whether Sillaba is a crook, because I am not aware of Sillaba’s dubious acts,” PW8 stated, adding that he did not know any of Sillaba’s collaborators.

When it was put to him by the defence counsel that Sillaba took money from one Omar Ndaw, in the sum of seven hundred and fifty thousand dalasi, and took one million, two hundred thousand from one Haddy Saho, and twenty-five thousand dollars from one Salim, the witness denied any knowledge of that.

He said that at the police headquarters, when the CD was played, he could hear Sillaba calling his name and giving instructions to him (the witness).

The case continues on 30th November 2011.