Saikouba Jammeh, station officer attached to Keneba Police Station in the Kiang West district, yesterday told the court under cross-examination that Alhagie Bakary Jammeh gave him D4,000, for Mbye Njie, former Director of Operations at the National Drug Enforcement Agency (NDEA), for Njie to release Sarjo Jallow who was in their custody.
Mbye Njie is standing trial at the Banjul Magistrates’ Court on a four-count charge, including official corruption and abuse of office.
Couple Jammeh under cross-examination told the court that he was given D4, 000 by Alhagie Bakary Jammeh for him to give it to Mbye Njie, which he handed over to him for the purpose of releasing Sarjo Jallow.
Asked by the defence counsel whether he (the witness) had ever been sent to Mile 2 Central Prisons for breaking into the NDEA’s exhibit store, Couple Jammeh told the court that he was not aware of that.
He said the D4,000 was meant for Mbye Njie instead of Sheriff Sanyang, officer commanding NDEA Banjul Station, denying that he was the cause for the accused person’s problem; instead, Njie was in trouble because of his own wrongdoing.
When asked whether he knew one Mr. Bah who gave money to Alhagie Bakary Jammeh, Couple Jammeh told the court that he did not know the said Mr.Bah, and that even whereas Mr. Bah was the one who gave money to Alhagie Bakary Jammeh, he did not collect it from him.
“I collected the money from Alhagie Bakary Jammeh, through the order of the accused person,” he said.
He added that regarding the D15, 000, it was directly handed over to the accused person, and he was there when Alhagie Bakary Jammeh was handing over the money to the accused person.
Counsel further put it to him that he was not telling the court the truth, because he did not mention that in his evidence-in-chief, but the witness maintained that he spoke the truth and nothing but the truth.
When it was put to him that he (the witness) was the cause of the accused getting the said D4, 000, as he was the mediator, the witness denied that.
He admitted that he was demoted from the rank of sub-inspector to the rank of couple, which he said he accepted in good faith, noting that promotion was based on the Almighty God and not individuals.
Told that all what he had said in court was just to conspire against the accused person, Couple Jammeh denied conspiring against the accused person, and said he told the court exactly what happened.
He added that the money was meant for the accused person, not for Sheriff Sanyang, and that the accused just handed over to Sheriff Sanyang for safekeeping, but he owned the said D15,000.
He also said that Alhagie Bakary Jammeh came to his office to inform him that he came to settle the arrears he owed to the accused person.
The case was then adjourned till 24th August 2012.
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