#Article (Archive)

Police officer testifies in alleged theft case

Sep 13, 2010, 12:16 PM | Article By: Yusuf Ceesay

Foday Keita, a police officer, recently testified before Magistrate Ceesay of the Kanifing Magistrates' Court in a criminal trial involving one Momodou Jallow, who was charged with stealing, a charge he denied.

Adducing evidence before the court, Foday Keita told the court that he resides at Talinding, and that he is attached to the Serrekunda CID unit as a police officer.

He said that he recognised the accused person, and could remember what happened on 6th September 2010.  He stated that, on that day, he obtained statements from the accused person.

Officer Keita revealed that the accused was verbally interrogated before obtaining the said statements. He added that he read the cautionary statement to the accused in Wollof, in the presence of one Dodou Jatta, an independent witness.

According to him, after reading the statement, they wrote the accused person's details on it. He added that he again obtained a voluntary statement in which the accused gave his name and address. He informed the court that the accused admitted stealing the said items found with him, and signed the statement.

Police Prosecutor, Inspector Mballow, applied to tender the voluntary statement, and was subsequently admitted as an exhibit.

The particulars of offence revealed that the accused, Momodou Jallow, on 6th of September, 2010, at London Conner, unlawfully entered into the compound of one Abraham Kyirem and therein stole two satellite discs valued at D2, 500 and D3, 500 respectively.