Mutapha Kanyi, alkalo of Tubanding Village, in the Central River Region,
Monday continued responding to questions from defence counsel Borry S. Touray,
in a five-count trial involving the jailed former attorney general and minister
of justice, Lamin AMS Jobarteh, before Justice Mikailu Abdoulah.
Under cross-examination, PW1 told the court that he knew Jerreh Jarra, Juma Dampha, Amadou Sowe, Mawdo Wally and Mawdo Jarra, all residents of Tubanding village.
He also testified that the accused did give money to the villagers, through Mawdo Jarra, but he did not know the actual amount involved.
He said he did not also know to whom the money was handed over, adding that there was a meeting held in the village which was attended by almost all the villagers, but he was not in attendance, nor did he delegate anyone to the meeting.
According to him, he did not know what had happened to the money, further denying that he was given part of the said money.
He said he was not at the meeting, because he was not going to do the clearing on the land.
The village head disclosed that the villagers cleared the land that was given to the accused in just one day, adding that the villagers had cleared all the small trees and grass on the land.
PW1 informed the court that he could not remember Lawyer Borry Touray, Lawyer Lamin Jabbi, and the accused coming to the village of Tubanding and he could not know if the accused took (Touray and Jabbi) to his grandfather’s grave in the village.
He informed the court that he used to hear people saying that the grave of one Balla Musa Filly Jobarteh, the grandfather to the accused, is in Tubanding village.
Kanyi maintained that the accused brought machines to clear the land that the accused grabbed from him and said that the machines were used to clear the big trees on the land that the villagers had cleared, but could not give an estimation of how many people attended the clearing.
He told the court that Tubanding village is in the Upper Falladu East and the governor is stationed at Janjanbureh Area Council and Physical Planning are the local authorities to take charge of all the disputes on the land.
The case was adjourned till 6 May 2014.
