The abuse of office and official corruption case involving one Maulud Faal, former officer of the National Drug Enforcement Agency (NDEA), continued recently at the Brikama Magistrates’ Court before Magistrate Jeng.
The case continued with the testimony of the second prosecution witness (PW2), Ismail Jatta, who told the court that when he returned to the Brikama Police Station, he reported to officer commanding Faal, who was the accused person.
When he reported to the accused - who asked him why he had previously failed to report - he told the accused he had travelled to Basse, Jatta said, adding that OC Faal the accused extended his bail and asked him to be reporting.
Jatta further told the court that while he was going home, someone told him there was a panel of investigation in Banjul and if his father reported that he paid the money for the suspected cannabis, the matter would be investigated and he would be paid.
He said further that at the Brikama Police Station, he was shown the alleged cannabis taken from their compound, adding that he was not taken to Banjul with the said cannabis.
He said his father and one Mansa Sumareh told him he would be taken to Banjul but the suspected cannabis would not be weighed.
Jatta further adduced that he was taken to Banjul by Dambel and Lamin Sima, both drug squad officers, whilst Dambel was the Station Officer of the Brikama drug squad.
Asked whether the weighing was done, he replied in the negative, saying he was asked to wait in the car.
They later came back to the police station and since then, he had not seen the suspected cannabis, he said, adding that he stopped reporting and went back to school.
He said Commissioner Jatta later took him and his father to Holgam, where they were asked if money was paid for the suspected cannabis and they answered in the affirmative. His father paid D250,000, he said.
At that juncture, defence counsel Edward Singhateh applied for the prosecution to provide copies of the statements in court, which was granted by the court.
The case was adjourned till 25 November 2013.
