Lena Gomez, who sued the former alkalo of Manjai Kunda, Momodou Lamin Camara, at the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court for selling her plot of land, on 30 May 2013 testified against the former alkalo before Magistrate Jobarteh.
The plaintiff, Lena Gomez, was asked to get into the witness box to tell the court what transpired between her and the former alkalo.
Because of her age, Magistrate Jobarteh asked her to use a seat, after she swore on the Bible.
In her testimony, she told the court that she lives at Kotu and she knows the defendant.
She adduced that the defendant’s father sold a plot of land to her, adding that the defendant in turn sold the plot of land to a Serahuleh man, who demolished her house and whatever she built on the land.
She said there was a time when her child got sick and she took the child to Guinea Bissau for treatment, adding further that when she returned, she found out that the defendant had sold her plot of land without her consent.
Lena Gomez said she reported the matter to the present alkalo, who confirmed to the defendant that the said plot of land belonged to her.
The old woman told the court that the buyer of her plot of land was taken to KMC, and the said buyer said that the defendant’s father, Karafa Camara, sold the land to him.
Lena Gomez added that the buyer was advised to return the land to her, further stating that she took the buyer to Bakau but he failed to appear.
The old woman was asked which place in Bakau she took the buyer to, and she said she took him to Bakau. This reporter subsequently learned that the old woman took the buyer to the office of the Ombudsman.
The plaintiff, Lena Gomez, further testified that the buyer failed to appear at the office of the Ombudsman, but the defendant appeared.
She adduced that the defendant was asked what he knew about the said plot of land, and he said that the land was given to the old woman by his father.
The plaintiff stated that the defendant’s father had issued her with some documents, adding that the KMC also issued her with a certificate of occupancy and receipts showing payment of rates.
The said documents were shown to the defendant and was asked whether he had any objection to the tendering of the documents.
The defendant, Momodou Lamin Camara, said he was objecting to the tendering of the documents, stating that they did not bear his father’s stamp.
Magistrate Jobateh overruled his objection, and admitted the said documents as exhibits.
The old woman finally told the court that she wanted to know whether the defendant or his father sold her plot of land.
Under cross-examination, the defendant put it to the plaintiff that his father did not sell the land to her.
Lena Gomez maintained that the defendant’s father sold the land to her.
The defendant again put it to the plaintiff that the documents did not bear his father’s stamp.
“You know very well whose stamp is on the documents, after you have demolished my house and killed my pigs,” the old woman replied.
The case was then adjourned till 20 June 2013.
