Two Nigerians identified as Peter Cole and Alieu Rapheal were on Wednesday, at the Kanifing Magistrates Court, charged with obtaining US$3,000 from one Farimang Manneh by false pretence.

The incident occurred on May 28th at a junction near the Africell Headquarters on Kairaba Avenue.

The charge sheet also revealed that the duo is being tried for attempting to commit felony, contrary to Section 368 of the Criminal Code Laws of The Gambia.

Testifying before the court, presided over by Principal Magistrate Moses Richards, Assan Gajaga, the second prosecution witness, recalled accompanying Farimang Manneh, the complainant on May 28 to the said junction, where they met with the accused persons. He said Manneh briefed him on the fact that he had a business transaction with the accused persons, whom he had paid D13,000.

Mr. Gajaga further recalled that on May 29, while accompanying Manneh, the first accused person (Peter Cole) told the complainant on telephone that they should meet at the Buffer Zone in Tallinding, where he paid an additional sum of D78,000 to the accused. He said Peter then gave nine pieces of a white substance called amatext to Manneh. However, he pointed out that Manneh later realised that the substance was fake. He said Manneh later requested the return of his money but the accused persons were nowhere to be seen.

He told the court that the accused persons later attempted to dupe one Abbie Ceesay, who alerted Mr. Farimang Manneh, explaining that she had been telephoned by anonymous individuals who wanted to do a similar transaction with her.

He said the accused persons told Abbie Ceesay to meet them at Jimpex. He said the police were then alerted and officers dispatched, leading to the arrest and detention of the duo at the Serrekunda Police Station.