NDEA OC, station officer trial progresses

The criminal trial involving Jerreh Jarju, officer commanding National Drug Enforcement Agency (NDEA) West Coast Region, and Samba Camara, Station Officer, Sibanor Police Station, continued on Monday at the Brikama Magistrates’ Court before Magistrate Babucarr Secka.

The two are being tried on four counts of official corruption, public officer receiving property to show favour, abuse of office, and conspiracy to commit misdemeanour.

Both have denied the charges.

In his testimony, Landing Jarju, the sixth prosecution witness, told the court that, in May 2010, his father was arrested with cannabis by the first caused person, Jerreh Jarju at the Sibanor Police Station.

According to him, while his father was under detention, he went to Sibanor Police Station to speak to the first caused person so that he (the witness) could pay money for his father to be released.

He said that at the station, he spoke to the first accused, Jerreh Jarju, but he refused and told him that he (the witness) was too small to talk to him, adding that it was then he went back home and informed his step-father, Bala Jarju and Baba Badjie, the fourth prosecution and fifth prosecution witnesses respectively.

“I went back with Bala Jarju and Baba Badjie again to the Sibanor Police Station and, on arrival, Baba Badjie and Bala Jarju went and discussed with the first accused person, Jerre Jarju, and after their discussion Baba and Bala came and told me what they have discussed with the first accused,” he told the court.

“I went and sold my cow and calf for D10, 000, which I gave to Baba Badjie and Bala Jarju and they gave it to the first accused person, in my presence, and the first accused said the D10, 000 was too small,” he added.

‘I went back and sold my donkey for D2, 000 and gave that to the first accused. That was the time the first accused released my father, Nabi Jarju,” the witness further said.

The witness said a few days after his father was released, the first accused came back to their house to re-arrest his father, and told him that the reason for the re-arrest was because his plan had failed.

He said the first accused told him that the money he took from them he had shared with the people who helped him to arrest his father.

“I went together with Bala and Baba again to Sibanor Police Station, to the first accused, who took Baba Badjie to the Brikama Police Station and told Baba that if they asked him whether he gave money to him, let Baba say he did not give any money to him,” he added.

The first accused, the witness added, went with Baba to Ndemban village in Foni to return the money, and Baba also gave the money back to him (the witness), adding that that was the time the Director of the Drug Squad, Mbye Njie, took the money from him.

The case at that juncture was adjourned to 14th March 2011.