He said he lives at Salagie and stated that he is the Deputy Speaker and Deputy Spokesperson of the NPP - the National People’s Party. He asserted that he recognised Musa Sheriff. He also adduced that his primary responsibility is dissemination of information on behalf of the NPP.
Commissioner A. Sanneh, the prosecuting officer, asked him that if information would come from another person other than him, how would he regard it. He answered it would be totally false, damaging and speculative. He testified that he could recall the 22nd of September 2024. He said Musa Sheriff placed a call to him, that there was hot news on his desk. According to him, Musa Sheriff told him he wanted him to confirm it before going to press.
“I asked him what the news was about. He told me that he received information from two NPP executive members that the party’s flag-bearer is Muhammed Jah and was asking me to verify it. I told him that I would not grant him an interview unless he revealed the two executive members,” the witness told the court.
He narrated that Sheriff told him to grant him an interview but he replied that he must tell him his source of information. He also adduced that Sheriff told him that he knew him during his NAPSA days. “I told him that if he published the information, it would be false and injurious to the president. I told him there would be no interview. He agreed and told me he would come to me but he never did. I surprisingly saw a story in The Voice newspaper that President Barrow had chosen Muhammed Jah as his successor. I was shocked and surprised,” the witness said.
He further testified that he was in parliament and he had calls and that people were dismayed. “Everybody was shocked and confused because the executive had never discussed anything about a flag-bearer,” he recalled.
Honourable Njie was asked whether he would be able to recognize The Voice newspaper if it was shown to him, and he answered in the positive. Commissioner Sanneh then gave him a copy of The Voice newspaper to have a look, which he did and confirmed.
At this juncture, Commissioner Sanneh applied to tender the said newspaper for ID purposes, and his application was granted by the court.
The newspaper was admitted as an exhibit when the defence said they had no objection for the said newspaper to be tendered as an ID.
Defence counsel L.S. Camara then applied to tender the said newspaper as an exhibit after the witness had confirmed that he mentioned it in his testimony. His application was granted and the said newspaper was admitted as an exhibit.
“I don’t know Binta Jaiteh. I was disappointed when I saw her name on the paper. I was shocked because I did not grant her an interview. There was no executive meeting where they discussed President Barrow’s successor. The publication has caused disunity, confusion and disappointment,” he further said.
The case was adjourned till 10 December 2024, for cross-examination.
L.S. Camara and Lamin Darboe represented the accused.
