The
prosecuting officer, Superintendent Joof, yesterday applied to reopen his case
in the ‘abuse of office’ and false information’ trial involving Solo Bojang and
Anineh Jammeh before Magistrate A.A. Jagne of the Brikama Magistrates’ Court.
When the case was called for defence to continue their case, the prosecutor, Superintendent Joof, rose and and said he was applying on under the CPC to reopen his case.
He said the accused contended that he was assigned by the head of state to go to the people of Alla Kunda to request for land, adding that the 1st accused person was calling on defective capability to call the maker of the statement.
Superintendent Joof said the 1st witness they would like to call is captain Tamba, who was the same witness that the 1st accused wanted to call.
He said the 1st accused said captain Tamba was his immediate assistant, so no injustice would be done to the 1st accused in calling captain Tamba as the prosecution witness.
The Superintendent added that the 2nd witness they would like to call is Lieutenant Colonel, Sarja Jarju, a senior ADC to the President, who was present during the tour to the airport farm as the senior ADC.
He said the witness would help them to ascertain the truth concerning the statement the accused was relying on.
“It is in the interest of the general public to ensure that evidence related to all criminal offences are presented to the court,” said the prosecutor.
In response, Solo Bojang, the 1st accused person, told the court that on the day he was testifying he never said he was assigned by the President to go to Alla Kunda.
“I was surprised that the prosecutor wants to call the same witness I wanted to call, “said the accused.
He added that the prosecution did not call the witnesses since the start of their case until when he opened defence and wanted to call his witnesses.
He said did not know or ever heard of the name of Colonel Sarja, the 2nd witness the prosecution wanted to call.
He said he knew captain Tamba and worked with him and also went with him to Alla kunda.
“I wanted to call captain Tamba as my witness but now that the prosecutor wanted him as a witness I am afraid that he might not say the truth,” the accused said.
He said he did not want anybody to defend him but he would like the truth to be told.
“Since the prosecution had closed their case and I have opened my defence and ready to proceed with my case. I left everything in the hands of the court to decide,” the accused said.
The 2nd accused said that he did not know Sarja Jarju and what he discussed with the President still stands whether the prosecution calls their witness or not.
The case was then adjourned till 25 March 2014 for ruling.
In another development, the trial Magistrate A.A. Jagne of the Brikama Magistrates’ Court had issued a subpoena to one Badara Tamba to come and testify in the abuse of office case involving Solo Bojang.
When the case was called, the accused, Solo Bojang, told the court that his witness was requesting for a subpoena to be served to him so he could come and testify, which the magistrate granted.
The case was adjourned till 25 March 2014.
