Omar Tunkara, a police detective attached to the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), yesterday, has told the court that the ex-nominated member of the National Assembly had denied receiving D400,000 from Abdourahman Bah, her co-accused, but instead claimed to have received only D200,000.

The police detective made this revelation while giving his evidence-in-chief in the ongoing conspiracy and theft trial at the Banjul Magistrates Court, presided over by Magistrate Lamin George. The duo were accused of having conspired and stolen D500,000 intended for James Junkung Jammeh Nursery School in Abuko, of which Mr Bah is the coordinator.

Continuing his testimony, Detective Tunkara recalled that he was in his office on August 7, when he received a “call” from his officer commanding, informing him to obtain cautionary statements from the duo. Tunkara said he obtained the statements at separate times in the presence of an independent witness identified as Babucarr Khan. He was quick to add that the second accused, Abdourahman Bah, wrote his own cautionary statement, but he had himself recorded that of Oley Sey.  

Further testifying, the police detective said Oley Sey confessed to have received only D200,000 and not D400,000 for safekeeping, contrary to Mr Bah’s claim that he retained just D100,000 out of which he had spent D20,000.

The police detective added that the balance of D80,000 was recovered from the second accused during the course of their investigations and D20,000 was later brought in by a relative of the second accused in order to complete the D100,000.
 
“Interrogation of the first accused person, Oley Sey, led to the recovery of D200,000 and D100,000 was also recovered from the second accused, Abdourahman Bah,” the police detective told the court.

Inspector Keita, the prosecution officer, applied for the D200,000 and D100,000 to be tendered and marked as exhibits. His application was granted after the defense counsel for both accused persons, Lamin Camara, raised no objection.

The prosecution further applied for an adjournment to enable him to call in the last witness to the case. The proceedings of the trial are expected to continue today.