Seedou Bojang, the fifth accused person in the trial involving Ibrahim Bun Sanneh, former NDEA Executive director and four others, last Thursday continued his defence testimony at the high court in
Continuing his testimony, Seedou Bojang, who was the NDEA accountant, told the court that when Marie Sanneh retrieved the said money from him under the directives of the 1st accused person (Bun Sanneh), he committed Marie by getting her to append her signature in his diary.
He said a temporary receipt was issued to Marie, because the payment was incomplete, and this was why an official receipt was not issued to her.
He added that Babucarr Jatta’s money “does not belong” to the Government of the Gambia, as the case was not registered in court, adding that the money deposited by Marie Sanneh was retrieved by Marie herself under the instructions of the 1st accused, then the director of the NDEA.
The fifth accused further asserted that the 1st accused gave an order for the maintenance of the vehicle with registration number BJL 9493D, through one Alieu Sanneh, a mechanic at the NDEA.
“After the inspection of the vehicle by the mechanic, the mechanic tendered an invoice through him, for which he directed the mechanic to the then director, the 1st accused,” he continued.
“I was called at the office of the 1st accused person, where I met both the 1st accused and the mechanic. He told me that he wanted to conduct a test to know what the vehicle can generate, but the vehicle needed maintenance,” he added.
“The vehicle was maintenance, and the 1st accused told the mechanic to test the vehicle. The mechanic came to my office with a manifest, and I asked him to go to the director,” he stated, adding that when the mechanic returned, the mechanic told him that the director said they should go ahead, and that he prepared D16,000 for the mechanic to buy fuel to load the vehicle to Basse.
He further told the court that when the mechanic came from Basse, the mechanic told him that the vehicle gave him countless problems, and said he did not come with any money.
“The mechanic did not give me any money. I referred him to the director.
“I was called to the office of the NIA on several occasions to give a statement. I have not done anything wrong in respect of this case,” he added.
The case continues.
