The trial
of Awa Beyai, Awa Sanneh and Ndey Ceesay, three nurses at the Serrekunda health
centre who were charged with neglect of official duty and abuse of office,
Wednesday continued before magistrate Tabally of the Kanifing magistrates’
court.
Continuing her testimony, the first prosecution witness, Isatou Sambou, told the court that when she met Awa Beyai at the Serrekunda health centre and informed her that she was about to deliver, Awa Beyai asked her to walk out of the health centre, which she did.
She delivered twins, with the first baby delivered at the Sandika market just outside the health centre, and the second baby she delivered in a trolley at the health centre.
Mrs Sambou further told the court that it was her mother who assisted her, when she was delivering in the street outside the health centre, adding that she went to the health centre with her mother.
She testified that Awa Beyai and Awa Sanneh were at the health centre at the time, adding that she gave Awa Beyai her clinic card, which Beyai threw back at her.
Mrs Sambou added that Awa Sanneh, who was mopping the place, asked her to go to the Serrekunda Hospital at Kanifing. At this juncture, the clinic card was given to her by the prosecutor to identify, which she did.
Prosecutor Touray applied to tender the clinic card.
Lawyers Singhateh and Sanyang did not raise any objection.
As a result, magistrate Tabally granted the application made by the prosecutor and accepted the clinic card as an exhibit.
The witness, Isatou Sambou, further informed the court that her twins passed away, adding that the first died on a Thursday and the second on a Saturday.
She told the court that it was Awa Beyai and Mrs Beyai’s husband who asked her not to visit the health centre before she delivered her twins, and that they would visit her at home, which they never did.
Lawyer Kebba Sanyang, at this juncture, rose and told the court that since he was representing Ndey Ceesay, who had not been mentioned by the witness, he has no questions for her.
Lawyer Edward Singhateh cross-examined the witness.
“Where do you live?”
“I live at Kotu”.
“Where do you normally go to visit the nurse?”
“I go to Serrekunda health centre”.
“Can you please tell the court who among the nurses attended to you?”
“It was Awa Sanneh who always assisted me, and she issued me with the clinic card”.
“How many children do you have, dead or alive?”
“I got three, plus the two who passed away”.
“So you had five children?”
“Yes”.
“I am putting it to you that you are lying. You’ve got more than five children”.
“I said the truth”.
“Is the clinic card not yours?”
“It is mine”.
“Is it not correct that you have delivered six children before the twins?”
“Those are different from the twins”.
“It is correct to say that you have delivered eight children in total”.
“I do not disagree”.
At this juncture, lawyer Singhateh applied for an adjournment to allow him to peruse the clinic card.
The case was adjourned to 3 April 2014, for continuation.