Mayor Samba Faal appears in court

The lord mayor of Banjul, Samba Faal, on Monday appeared before the Banjul Magistrates’ Court, where he testified in the trial of Fafa Ceesay and Tamsir Nyang, who are charged with giving false information.

Testifying before Magistrate Emmanuel Nkea as the first prosecution witness, Mayor Faal told the court that he resides in Kotu South, and that he is the mayor of the city of Banjul.

He told the court that he knew the second accused person prior, and that something had transpired between him and the second accused person with regard to the government properties situated at Sarro Denton Bridge in Banjul, which is used for agricultural purposes.

“About six months ago, the second accused, Tamsir Nyang, approached me about the said land that their late father has been cultivating for so long, and that he planted some of the cashew trees there,” Mayor Faal added.

The second accused, Mayor Faal added, told him that since there was a fire outbreak on the said land, he wanted to apply to the disaster relief committee for conpensation.

“I told him that the property belongs to the government, and asked him to produce the fire report and documents to prove ownership of the land, but he said to me he can only produce the fire report,” he told the court.

“I then referred him to the deputy mayor of the council, who is the head of the disaster management committee. I told the 2nd accused that his late father used to cultivate at the said land for more than 20 years together with many others, but that does not mean that his late father owned the said land, ” he said.

Mayor Faal also told the court that he told the second accused that he is aware of the fact that his late father has planted some trees on the said land.

Under cross-examination by the first accused, Fafa Ceesay, Mayor Faal maintained that even though the accused person’s late father planted some trees on the said land, the land belongs to the state.

The witness was not cross-examined by the second accused, as he had no questions for him.

At that juncture, the prosecuting officer, Cadet Superintendent Manneh, announced that the prosecution had closed their case.

Magistrate Nkea then adjourned the case till 24th November 2010.