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Momodou
Denmark
11682 Posts |
 Posted - 20 Jul 2006 : 12:38:06
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MANLAFI JARJUE’S CRIMINAL CASE
By Modou Jonga
The charge sheet against the erstwhile Secretary of State for Local Government and Lands, which alleged that the latter committed criminal trespass by selling a land, which belong to the President, has been amended again.
Before the commencement of the proceedings on 17th July, the prosecution made an application, and substituted the initial charge sheet of criminal trespass with the charge of obtaining money by false pretence under Section 288 of the Criminal Code of the laws of The Gambia 1990. He is accused of receiving D235,000 from one Lamin Sillah by false pretence.
During cross examination, the first witness, Inspector Ebrima Jammeh, who is attached to the Serious Crime Unit, said he was assigned to ascertain the allegation that the piece of land was jointly given to Manlafi Jarju and the President by the Morri kunda family of Sanyang. Based on this, the first witness said Manlafi was invited to his office for questioning and he maintained that the said land was given to him alone and not to the President. The witness said on investigating the matter, he was able to obtain a sketch plan of the land in dispute, and the sketch plan showed that the suit land is jointly owned by both the President and Malanfi. This sketch plan was tendered in court as evidence and marked as exhibit. Testifying further, the first witness said he was told by the Morri kunda family that the suit land was given entirely to Manlafi alone. The first witness claimed that Morri kunda family were the traditional owners of the suit land.
Babansu Sanyang, the second witness said Manlafi Jarju, Lang Tombong Tamba and Lieutenant Jammeh took cola nut to them and said they were sent by the President to seek land for him (the President) for development purpose. He said this request for land by the President was honoured after the elders of each Kabilo in Sanyang village met. The size of the land which was given to the President by the people of Sanyang, according to the second witness, is approximately six kilometres in length. He however stressed that the distance between the land given to the President by the people of Sanyang village and the land given to Manlafi by the Morri kunda family is three to four kilometres apart.
The dimension of the said land given to Manlafi, according to the second witness is 50 by 100 metres and not 50m by 98m as stated in the sketch plan that is tendered (exhibit A). The trial was presided over by Magistrate Edirisa Mbye and it is adjourned to the 27th of July to enable the prosecution to call another witness.
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
Issue No. 55/2006, 20-23 July, 2006
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