The police prosecutor, Cadet Inspector Keita, yesterday, closed his file in the ongoing diamond tax evasion case involving Mr Abubakar Tunkara at the Bundung Magistrates Court, presided over by Acting Principal Magistrate Kumba Sillah-Camara.

The prosecutor’s last witness, First Class Detective Alagie Sanneh, attached to the Yundum Police Station, had said in his testimony that he was on duty chatting with his colleague, Fatou Barry, when she received a telephone call from Mr Njie (PW1). According to him, Njie instructed them to reinforce and meet somewhere at the Rasta Garden because he had heard some people discussing diamonds.

He continued that on their arrival at a guest house near the said Rasta Garden, they entered a room where they met six (6) people. He added that it was the accused, Abubakar Tunkara, who was counting the diamonds when they entered the room. He said that they arrested him with one other guy called Dukureh and took them to the Yundum Police Station.

He told the court that at the police station, the diamonds were counted and found to be 44 pieces, wrapped up in white paper in the presence of the accused, who confirmed them to be diamonds.

The accused’s counsel, Mr ABS Janneh, asked PW2: "You indicated in your evidence that he (the accused person) informed you that they were diamonds. Is the accused a diamond expert?" The prosecutor raised an objection over this question, and the magistrate requested the counsel to reframe his question.

The defence counsel later filed in a no case submission and requested that the accused be acquitted and discharged.

The case was adjourned to 20 October, 2008.