High court registrar testifies in NIA case

Mariama Ceesay-Mboob, registrar at the high court in Banjul, yesterday testified in the case involving senior officers of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) at the Banjul Magistrates’ Court.

Her testimony in the case was in response to a subpoena served on her by the lower court for her to produce the case file of the state versus Tijan Mboob, Karamo Drammeh and five others for clarification, following the application made by the defence counsel, Abdoulie Sissoho.

Lamin Darboe, Edrissa Jobe alias Alagie Morr, Ebrima Drammeh alias Gim and Omar Jammeh alias Boy Boot, all senior members of the NIA are being tried for the offences of conspiracy, assault causing actual bodily harm and assault causing grievous bodily harm.

When the case was called, defence counsel Abdoulie Sissoho informed the court that the case was adjourned for defence to open their case.

He added that the defence had applied to the court to subpoena the registrar of the high court in Banjul, Mrs Mariama Ceesay-Mboob, to produce the case file of the state versus Tijan Mboob, Karamo Drammeh Fernoco, Ansuman Fatty, Lamin Kabou, alias Langa, Lamin Sima and Lamin Cham.

Mrs Ceesay-Mboob told the court that her office received a subpoena to produce the case file, which she did.

At that juncture, the defence counsel applied to tender the case file, which was accordingly admitted and tendered as a defence exhibit.

Under cross-examination by the Director of Special litigation, Daniel O Kulu, who asked the witness how the case ended at the high court in Banjul, Mrs Mboob told the court the case ended since April 2011.

It would be recalled that it was alleged that the accused persons were, in May 2009 at the NIA head office in Banjul, with intent to do some grievous harm to Lamin Kabou, wounded Lamin Kabou by beating him with fist blows, an electric cable and metals.

It was further alleged that, in May 2009 at the NIA head office in Banjul, they conspired among themselves to cause injuries to the persons of Lamin Kabou and Lamin Sima.

The case was adjourned to 26 April 2012.