The case involving Lamin Jarju, alkalo of Babylon, and 13 others Monday proceeded at the Brikama Magistrates’ Court before Magistrate Jeng.
At the resumption of the hearing, defence counsel Borry Touray asked the prosecutor for the witness’ statement, but the prosecutor said he did not go to court with the document.
He promised to take along the document on the next adjourned date.
Under cross-examination, when counsel asked the witness, Valentine Ndeki, when he got the transfer document he claimed to have, PW1 said it was in 2013 but he could not remember the month.
Asked by counsel to tell who prepared it, the witness said the alkalo of Makumbaya prepared it.
Was it after or before the arrest of the accused persons? counsel asked. The witness said it was before the arrest of the accused persons.
At that juncture, counsel applied for the copy of the document from the prosecution, which was granted.
Asked if he had paid the rates for the said land, PW1 said he had a small piece of paper.
Asked again whether he had another compound in Makumbuya apart from the farmland, PW1 answered in the negative.
Asked also if the paper he brought to court was the one he was referring to as rates receipt, he answered in the affirmative.
The accused persons again asked for the court’s sympathy to grant them bail, since all of them are family men and their “families are still suffering”.
But the trial magistrate said the bail condition granted to them by the former magistrate would still stand, which is to fulfill the conditions of D250,000 each with sureties who could deposit something equivalent to the amount.
Hearing continues on 18 December 2013.
