Former station officer's trial continues

The criminal trial for abuse of office involving Abdoulie Colley, the former station officer at the Tujereng Police Station, recently continued at the Brikama Magistrates' Court.

Sometime in the year 2002, Mr. Colley being employed in the public service was the station officer at Tujereng Police Station, in the Western Region, allegedly abused his office by failing to take the following alleged murderers to court namely, Abdou Camara, Sanna Camara, Suwaibou Colley, Haruna Camara, Saidou Camara, Ansumana Camara and Yusupha Sanneh.

Testifying before Magistrate E A Amadi was the witness for the prosecution, one Cpl. 896 Bai Ceesay, a police officer attached to Banjul Traffic Unit.

He told the court that on 18th September 2002 he was on duty at Tujereng Police Station, when some people from Banyaka village in the Kombo South district reported at the station that someone caught as a suspected thief was beaten to death.

He further explained that the assistant station officer at Tujereng Police Station, who is now on a peace-keeping mission, visited the scene, and the corpse of the deceased was taken for a post mortem.

According to Corporal Ceesay, the accused (Abdoulie Colley) was then the station officer at Tujereng Police Station.

Also testifying was one Ismaila Bojang, a native of Tujereng village in the Kombo South district, who informed the court that the deceased was staying with him at Tujereng village.

According to him, on 18th September 2002, he could not locate the whereabouts of the deceased. Then after a while, he came to know that some people from Banyaka village had allegedly killed the deceased.

He added that when he got the information, he went to the Alkalo of Banyaka, who informed him that the deceased came to his village to steal a sheep, and was caught by some villagers who allegedly beat him to death.

Consequently, he said, the matter was reported to the police at Tujereng Police Station. Hearing continues on the 23rd February 2010.