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Plaintiff testifies in D48,000 civil claim

Jun 24, 2011, 1:54 PM | Article By: Yusuf Ceesay

Reida Mina Marink, Plaintiff, on 22 June 2011 testified against the defendant, Ginny, in a D48,000 civil suit before Magistrate Ngube of the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court.

The plaintiff was claiming D48,000 in respective of a laptop and light machine given to the defendant.

In her evidence-in-chief, the plaintiff adduced that she knows the defendant and on 1 January 2011, she took D2,000 from the defendant and she (the plaintiff) gave her the laptop as a guarantee till she paid back her money.

“In January 2011, I went back to the defendant with a light machine to sell to the defendant,” she said, adding that the defendant told her that she was not ready to buy it.

The plaintiff told the court that she then suggested replacing the said light machine as a guarantor to take back the laptop which the defendant agreed to.

She said she met the defendant at her restaurant but she told her the laptop was at home.

“Any time I ask for the laptop, the defendant would give me excuses that it was with her at home,” said the plaintiff.

She indicated that the last time she went to the defendant’s restaurant she found out that the restaurant was no longer operating.

According to the plaintiff, she later reported the matter to the police and at the police station, the defendant told her that the laptop had been stolen, but the light machine was with her at home.

Further testifying, she revealed that at the police, they were told to reach on terms as it was a civil matter.

“In April, I made an agreement with the defendant to give me back the said items,” said the plaintiff. She indicated that several demands were made but the defendant could not produce her properties.

The plaintiff told the court that she bought the laptop in 2009 in Finland to the tune of 850 euros.

She testified that the defendant did not show her any police report to say the laptop was stolen.

She told the court that she needed the said laptop to do her work for her survival but it is to no avail.

The case was then adjourned until 29 June for cross-examination.