Adama Sarr, a hotelier on Monday testified as he appeared before the Kanifing Magistrates court in the ongoing criminal case in which the operation manager of Kombo Beach hotel, Marc Maurice Alfred Vanmaldegum, is the accused person.

Testifying before senior magistrate Sainabou Wadda-Ceesay, Adama Sarr informed the court that he lives in Latrikunda German.  She added that she is a room attendant and works in the said hotel for ten years. She went on to indicate that her daily work consists of cleaning the rooms in the hotel that she came to know Marc, the accused person, in the hotel.  She then recalled that on 31 August 2008, while working in room 110, she realized that the  occupant was not there.

The following day, she added, as she went back to the same room, she surprisingly found that everything in the room was in order. A situation that prompted her to inform her superior, Kaddy Ceesay.  She noted that her boss (Kaddy) then told her to allow the guest to stay in the room for another 24 hours. On the third day, that was a similar routine, as there was no guest in the room.

Adama Sarr further told the court that she had earlier reported the matter to one Adama Bah before she and her boss (Kaddy) went back to check the room to see if the guest had left the room. According to her, they found the door of the room opened with Marc standing inside.  

She informed the court that Marc told them that it was the guest who instructed him to get into the room.  In addition, she pointed out at the court, that the accused person told her boss (Kaddy) that the guest instructed him to share the guest’s belongings among the house keeping staff.

It was at that juncture, she left the room and went back to her work. It could be recalled that on 3 September 2008, at Kombo Beach hotel, Marc Maurice Alfred Vanmaldegum conspired with others to defeat the cause of justice by communicating with Charles Andrew North Field, an accused in the case of the state.  

Carnegie Minerals knowning him to have absconded from trial and thereby committing an offence. Count two also indicated that on the same day, place and time, the accused  did prevent the execution of a legal process by communicating with Charles Andrew North Field who had absconded from trial and entered his room and removed his personal effects instead of reporting the matter to the authority thereby committing an offence.

Badou Conteh represented the accused while police cadet inspector Mballow stood in for the IGP. The case was adjourned till December 29th  2008 for continuation.