The murder case involving two former officers of the National Drug Enforcement Agency (NDEA), Edrissa Jarju and Edrissa Jaiteh, yesterday continued at the Special Criminal Court in Banjul with testimonies.
Sheriff Barrow, a police officer, told the court in his testimony that he is a police officer attached to the Major Crime Unit of the Police Headquarters in Banjul, adding that he knew the 1st accused as a narcotics officer in connection with the case.
He said he was instructed by his boss to obtain both cautionary and voluntary statements from the 1st accused, Edrissa Jarju.
“I filled the form of the cautionary statement and read the cautionary wording to the 1st accused,” Officer Barrow explained, adding that after writing the statements, the accused signed and he also signed the statement as the recording officer.
He said he also followed the same procedure in obtaining the voluntary statement, but the 1st accused denied the charge preferred against him.
The state prosecutor at that juncture applied to tender both the cautionary and the voluntary statements as an exhibit, which were later tendered and admitted as exhibits.
Under cross-examination, the witness admitted that at the time of recording the statements from the 1st accused, there was no independent witness present and further said the accused denied the allegation.
He said he knew nothing about the 3rd accused, Sang Paul Jatta, who was reported to be at large, adducing that the photos of Sang Paul were displayed at all major police stations across the country.
The witness further explained that as far as he was concerned neither Edrissa Jaiteh nor Sang Paul Jatta was NDEA officer. Both were volunteers, he said.
The case continues on 29 May 2012.