The ongoing trial against Mr. David Colley, the former Director of Prisons, proceeded yesterday at the Banjul Magistrates’ Court before Magistrate B.Y. Camara. The testimonies of prosecution witnesses five and six dominated the proceedings.

In his testimony sergeant Malang Manneh, Prisons Officer attached to Jeshwang Juvenile wing as a janitor, told the court that sometime around 22nd September 2004 while he was on duty, two officers named Haruna Jobe and Famara Sanneh drove into the prison premises and reported that that they were sent by the accused to collect a generator.

He further told the court that he then ordered his junior, Jainaba Touray, to book their entry, adding that the generator was then handed over to them.

Also testifying, detective Amadou Kujabi of Police Headquarters told the court that sometime on 25th June 2007 he was on duty when he had orders to join one Officer Ceesay to investigate the alleged theft of a generator by Mr. David Colley. He added that upon their arrival at Mile II central prisons, they met Mr. Colley and questioned him about the alleged stolen generator which, he added, was donated by Social Development Fund (SDF).

He said during the questioning, Mr. Colley admitted borrowing the generator from his deputy for the purpose of a naming ceremony at his New Yundum residence. He pointed out that Mr. Colley further admitted that the said generator was at the time undergoing repairs at a workshop in Ebo Town. He adduced that they later went to Ebo Town together with Mr. Colley to collect the said generator and that on their way back they stopped over at Mile 2 and asked the deputy Director if she could identify generator. The deputy Director, he continued, observed that the generator was not the one Mr. Colley collected from her. She thus later made a statement before the generator was transported to Police Headquarters in Banjul.