Trial commenced on Monday in the drug case involving one Ebrima Sillah at the Brikama Magistrates’ Court before Magistrate Secka.
Modou Camara, a narcotics officer, testified as the first prosecution witness telling the court that in December 2012, he was assigned by his boss to escort the accused person to weigh the suspected drugs.
He said he and his fellow officer, Ousman Bah, together with the accused and the suspected drug, left for the weighing office.
Upon their arrival at the weighing office, he took the suspected cannabis, which was weighed in front of the accused person at 25 grams and 650 mg, he said.
He said he signed, the weighing officer signed and the accused person also thumb-printed the certificate.
“We went back to the charge office and the suspected cannabis was opened, samples extracted from it and taken to the lab for verification,” officer Camara said.
He also said he had been working as an NDEA officer for more than four years.
Officer Camara disclosed that when someone is arrested with substances they are considered suspected substances until samples are extracted from it and sent to the lab to be proven.
PW1 said that from the lab, the result is sent to the scientific unit and a certificate is issued confirming that it is cannabis.
He identified both the weighing certificate and the analytical report, which were both tendered and marked as exhibits.
Under cross-examination, the accused put it to the witness that he (the accused) was stopped at the parlour of the weighing office, but the witness denied it.
Hearing continues on 15 June 2013.
