The case involving Njoba Bah, former alkalo of Jalanbang Village, who was charged with endorsing land transfer documents not in his jurisdiction, continued recently at the Brikama Magistrates’ Court before Principal Magistrate Abeke.
Testifying under cross-examination, PW1 Dembo Santang Bojang, ex-Chief of Kombo Central, told the court the boundary between Kombo South and Kombo Central was identified.
Bojang told the court he did not have any meeting with the villagers of the two districts in connection to the boundary but a letter was sent to the various alkalolou of the respective districts.
Asked whether he was present when the surveyor went around to show the boundary line between the two districts to the accused, in response, the witness said he was present at the time but added that the surveyor could not show the entire boundary line to the accused because there was a lot of grasses.
When told that since the accused was not shown the entire boundary line of the two districts, he would not know the whole boundary line of the districts.
In response, PW1 said he could not say that.
“Between 2007 and 2008, the accused was the alkalo of Jalanbang Village,” the counsel asked, and the witness said: “Yes, it was even more than that.”
Bojang revealed that the accused had been an alkalo of Jalanbang Village for more than 30 years.
He also testified that the responsibility of the alkalo was limited to sign transfer of ownership of a land document within his area, but also in consultation with the owners of the land within his area.
“The accused was charged with endorsing land transfer document that does not fall in his jurisdiction,” the counsel inquired.
In response, the witness said he could not answer that, because during the police investigation, he was not the district chief, adding that he did not know the land the accused issued.
Counsel then put it to him that the lands in question were the lands in the boundary line between the two districts, but the witness said he could not authenticate it.
When it was further put to him that the lands the accused issued were the lands along the boundary line and the extent of that boundary was not fully shown to the accused by the surveyor, the witness said he could not say anything about that.
The case was at this juncture adjourned till 18 July 2012.
