Mbye Njie, ex-director of operations at the National Drug
Enforcement Agency (NDEA), who was charged with official corruption and abuse
of office, among others, yesterday continued his testimony at the Banjul
Magistrates’ Court before Principal Magistrate Taiwo Ade Alagbe.
Njie told the court that after giving his statement at the NDEA’S Holgam office in Kanifing, he went back to his office and PW1 came to his office and told him that he (PW1) was made to understand that he was called upon at Holgam.
“Why are you so worried about this case? I told him; then asked him to leave my office immediately. I was never notified by the authority that I will be charged with the said offence,” Njie further told the court.
Asked by his counsel L.K. Mboge, whether as a police officer and security personnel they send people to Mile 2 or custody before being brought the competent court of law, Njie told the court that had never happened, adding that the suspect must have gone through the normal procedures of cautioning and charging him, before taking him to court, and that it is the court which would decide either to take him to Mile 2 or released him or her on bail.
When asked again why then the authority decided to send him to prison before taking him to court, Mr. Njie told the court that according to the charge sheet it was state versus Mbye Njie, but in this particular case, it was Mbye Njie versus Benedict Jammeh.
“I told the court earlier on that the reason was that I was promoted by the PMO in March 2010, when Benedict Jammeh was not even thinking of being appointed at the National Drug Enforcement Agency,” he added.
He said Benedict Jammeh joined them some months later, and that three of them were working together with the then deputy director general, Kalilu Njie.
“In 2010 June, I was deployed to Kanilai to attend the festival for one month and, after the festival, I came back to the office, and we started working together,” he told the court.
Njie pointed out that if there was any problem between him and Benedict Jammeh, it was through ex-deputy director of the NDEA, Kalilu Njie.
However, at this point the trial magistrate stated that the court would not allow the witness to go into that trench, because what the witness was explaining was just speculation.
The word “if” is speculation, meaning he was not sure of what he was saying, the magistrate said.
In response, defence counsel LK Mboge stated that the witness was just trying to drive to a point, which he wanted the court to record him.
The case was then adjourned till 8 October 2012, for continuation of the hearing.
