Corporal Abdoulie Jallow, the second prosecution witness in this criminal trial said he works with the Gambia Police Force.
The accused persons are: Abdou Njie, the chairman of the movement, Ebrima Kitim Jarju, Sheriffo Sonko, Hagi Suwaneh (the spokesperson), Fanta Mballow, Karim Touray, Yankuba Darboe (alias Yanks Darboe) and Muctarr Ceesay.
The accused persons were first arraigned at the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court on 29 January 2020 on three criminal counts of unlawful Assembly, rioting after proclamation and rioters demolishing structures. The matter was adjourned to the High Court because the lower court lacked the jurisdiction to hear the case. The charge of rioters demolishing structures was later dropped and the accused persons were granted bail by the High Court.
The witness, who said he was in mufti on both 3 Years Jotna protest days – 16 December 2019 and 26 January 2020, informed the court that he was having a team of three who were filming the protest, making some audio visual recordings and sending the information to the police headquarters to his authorities.
The witness recalled that he acted like a journalist and was doing some interviews with some of protesters. Jallow said he has video tapes showing the accused persons in the protest and what they were doing and saying while the protest was on. He added that he used a drone and a mobile phone to do his work.
He recalled on 26 January 202 he arrived at the Y-Junction which is not far from Sting Corner where the protest was supposed to start. He informed the court that he arrived at the area designated for the protest before the Chairman of the Movement, Abdou Njie.
“I was there with the drone sending information to the necessary authorities,” the witness said.
He said after sometime crowds of people began coming including Abdou Njie, the chairman of 3 Years Jotna.
“I wanted to have a small interview with him (Njie), but he told me he was just arriving,” the witness said.
The police corporal said Abdou Njie left the Y-Junction and went to the Sting Corner to meet some of the protesters there asking them to come to the Y-Junction because it was the designated place for the protest.
“They (the protesters) refused and Njie left them and returned to the Y-Junction,” Jallow said.
The witness testified that some of the protesters pushed the police barrier placed between the Sting Corner and the Y-Junction.
Testifying under the cross-examination, Jallow said the protest was organised by the accused persons and therefore, they were responsible for things that happen afterwards. The Lawyer told him the accused persons cannot be held responsible for things done by others.
