The trial
of the former deputy mayor of the Kanifing Municipality, Yusupha Sanyang, began
on 26 November 2014 before Magistrate Jobarteh of the Kanifing Magistrates’
Court.
Sub-Inspector Oley Bobb called her first witness to tell the court what transpired between him and Mr Sanyang.
The witness, Lamin Saho, testified that he lives at Bakoteh and recognized Yusupha Sanyang, the accused, who was accused of obtaining money by false pretence.
Lamin Saho told the court that he heard from his friend, one Ousman Sanyang, that the accused helps people to take them to Europe.
He met the accused and talked to him about a visa transaction.
The accused confirmed that he helps people to travel to Europe, and that he needed a Bosnian visa.
The accused told Saho that the payment for the visa was D125,000.
Saho told Sanyang he was helping one Lamin Joof, and the accused asked him to bring Lamin Joof’s passport.
The accused told him to wait for a while before effecting payment.
Saho took Lamin Joof’s passport to the accused, and after two weeks, went back and told Sanyang that he also wanted a visa.
The accused asked him to bring along D250,000.
He agreed, and gave the accused his passport.
After a few weeks, the accused phoned him one night, and they met. The accused showed him a document, and told him that the transaction was ready.
The document shown to him was not written in English.
Saho added that he asked the accused whether the visa was ready, but the accused told him that the visa was for ‘seen on arrival’.
He gave the accused D125,000 as first payment, and the accused gave him a receipt.
The said receipt was shown to him by the police prosecutor, which he identified.
Prosecutor Sub-Inspector Oley Bobb then applied to tender the receipt.
The receipt was shown to the accused, and he had no objection, and the court admitted the receipt as an exhibit.
Continuing his testimony, Mr Saho told the court that after paying D125,000 to the accused, he told Sanyang that Lamin Joof’s father would give him (the accused) the balance.
He then told Lamin Joof’s father to give the accused the balance.
He subsequently asked Sanyang when he would travel, and the accused told him they would travel on 18 April 2014. The case was adjourned.