I was terminated because of political reasons accused tells court

Alasana Krubally, who is facing criminal charges of stealing by clerk or servant alongside one Sarja Fatty, recently told the court he was sacked by the complainant, Alieu Jawara, because of political reasons.

Krubally made this revelation while testifying under cross-examination by the police prosecutor at the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court.

The particulars of the offence alleged that the accused persons between January and April 2011, being employees of Honest Company Ltd as sales manager and sales recorder, jointly fraudulently converted D341, 800 in their own use being proceeds of 114 white and desktops, 91 LCD’S flat screen computers.

The accused testified that when he started working with the complainant he received 353 desktops computers and 250 LCD flat screens of both the good and bad.

He said he started selling in January 2011, but that he did not know how many desktops of LCDS flat screen were sold.

Asked by the police prosecutor how many items were loaned out, the accused said three computer sets were loaned out but were not included in the records.

“Will you agree with me that according to records you sent to PW1, Alieu Jawara, it was indicated that 20 units were loaned out,” the prosecutor asked and the witness answered that it was nineteen that was indicated in the records but only sixteen were loaned out.

“I only indicated cost of ten computers, D45, 000 of loan and D27, 000 for the other six computers,” said the accused.

The witness also revealed to the court that it was the complainant who negotiated the prices of the loaned goods.

When quizzed by the prosecuting officer that the reasons he indicated only the amount of the loaned out computers was to defraud the complainant, the accused responded in the negative, saying he was instructed by Alieu Jawara to do so.

“I only loaned desktop computers to three people whilst the others with laptop,” he asserted.

Asked when he was sacked by the complainant, the accused revealed that he was sacked in mid-April 2011, saying: “I was sacked by the complainant because of political reasons.”

He further told the court the complainant sent him an email to collect information from Lawyer Ousainou Darboe.

However, he adduced that he did not personally know Mr Darboe and he did not collect the information from him.

The accused denied that his statement was a mere lie just to cover his fraudulent activities.

Asked why he was not dismissed in the month of August 2010 for the said political reasons, the accused told the court that the complainant was in Canada at that time.

When quizzed whether there was an inventory done in the month his services were terminated, he responded in the negative, adding that there was an inventory in June.

“You cannot account for 114 desktops missing?” the prosecutor queried, and the accused said that he asked for an inventory in April when the complainant was there but he (the complainant) insisted that his flight was ready.

He denied that 91 flat screens were found missing when they reported to the store in June, noting that he did not do any inventory.

He further denied that there was no sales after he was terminated, saying: “The keys were handed to PW2, Foday Jawara, and one Saikou Jawara on behalf of the complainant.”

The accused admitted that PW2 was some time dismissed by the complainant, further denying that he was the cause of the dismissal of PW2 to be in charge.

“I was not in charge, my activity was to give out money needed by the complainant’s people in their farm,” the witness told the court.

Asked about the receipts of articles he bought for the construction, the accused further noted that he was not responsible for buying items, saying: “What I did was to indicate the amount given out as expenditure. All I have told the court is the truth.”

Hearing adjourned till 27 February 2012.