Obtaining money by false pretence case proceeds

The criminal trial of obtaining money by false pretence involving one Foday Jallow proceeded recently at the Kanifing Magistrates' Court before Magistrate Tabally.

Testifying, the first prosecution witness, Amadou Sanyang, a satellite technician, told the court he could recognise the accused, Foday Jallow.

According to him, in August 2010, he was introduced to the accused by one ASP Camara, a Municipal Officer, who said the accused had procured visa for some people.

"I discussed with the accused because by then I intended to travel to Italy and we agreed at D110,000," the witness explained.

"The accused demanded a part payment of D15,000, which I paid to him and he told me that the process would take only four days," he added.

PW1 further told the court that after four days the accused did not issue him a visa until the sixth day when he gave him an Indonesia visa for Asia.

"I protested by telling the accused that I  need a Swiss visa or Italy but not an Indonesian visa," he said, adding that the accused told him that he would get his transit written on his ticket.

He adduced that the accused demanded the balance of D95,000 and said to him that he would book and board his flight in Dakar.

PW1 said the accused assured him that it was a matter of must for him to travel to Indonesia and from there he could continue to Swiss.

"Myself, one Omar Bun Darboe and the accused travelled to Dakar but we did not stay together with the accused," he revealed.

He added that he later moved from where he was lodged and proceeded to the airport but he did not meet the accused there.

"I was at the airport the whole day calling the accused but each time I called him he would tell me to hang off he would call me back," PW1 explained further.

He further adduced that the accused never produced any ticket for him and  he later called to met him at a place called Lebrate Six, where the accused told him that the flight to Indonesia had been cancelled until the following day.

"I later called and got him through his Gambian number and I told him how could you go back to The Gambia without informing me," PWI said, adding that the accused promised to return to Senegal the following day.

"I spent almost a month in Senegal and I later called ASP Camara and explained everything to him," PW1 adduced.

He said he later returned to The Gambia and the accused told him that in two weeks' time if things did not go through he would refund his money.

"After two weeks things did not go through and he did not refund my money," he said, adding: "I called him again and he said to me he had produced a British and a Gamban passport."

The witness went on to say that the accused told him that he would negotiate by bribing so that he could go to Europe and that he would only change the photos on the Gambian passport.

He said the accused told him that European people "do not recognise African faces", adding that he was later told by his parents not to take the passport from the accused person.

I later reported the matter to the Serekunda Police Station where the accused paid D2,000 and I made a statement to that effect.

The case was adjourned till 27 January 2011.