Bakary Jibba, a narcotic police officer, attached at the Serekunda Police Station yesterday 25th August 2009, testified in a drug case involving one Demba Ceesay and Ali Khan, before Senior Magistrate Abdoulie Mbacke of the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court.
In his testimony, he told the court that he could recall on 8th August, 2009, and that he recognised the two accused persons: Demba Ceesay and Ali Khan.
He stated that on the said date he was in his office and got a tip-off from an informer through telephone that, there were some people at Duniya Motel at Serekunda who were involved in a drug related matter.
According to him, he left his office with one Sergeant Musa Jarjue, and on arrival at the motel, he directly got into the room where the said accused persons were staying.
He adduced that he knocked at the door and it was opened, and immediately entered with his colleague where they found the accused.
He stated that as he introduced himself to the accused another person in the room threw a bottle of Mercury behind the bed.
According to him, they picked it up and conducted a search in the room and later arrested the accused and took them to his office.
He indicated that he conducted a search on them and found $4000 with the first accused, Dembo Ceesay.
He said later he forwarded the case to the CID office.
At this juncture, Inspector Fadera applied to tender the $4000 and the bottle of Mercury, but Demba Ceesay objected to the application on the grounds that the witness took from him $4000 and D3000, and had handed them to the CID officer.
The first accused, Demba Ceesay, further told the court that the D3000 which belongs to him was not tendered, and this was why he objected to the application made by Inspector Fadera to tender the $4000 and the bottle of Mercury.
But Inspector Fadera rose to clarify that it was only D2250, which was found with the accused along with the $4000 and the bottle of Mercury.
He told the court that the D2250 belongs to the complainant and it was surrendered to him.
When the witness was asked how much he found in the Gambian currency with the accused. He said he did not know because he had handed everything to the CID office, only to later confirm that he found D2250 with the accused.
Magistrate Mbacke at this juncture, said the court had considered the objection by the first accused and had accepted the $4000 and the bottle of Mercury as exhibits, but had taken note of the Gambian currency.
The case was adjourned to 9th September, 2009, for the Defence Counsel to cross-examine the witness.