A magistrates’ court has begun hearing testimonies in the trial of a Cape Verde national who was late last month arraigned at the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court for attempting to steal a child as well as domiciling in The Gambia without regularising his status.

Rendering her testimony before magistrate Moses Richards at the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court last Tuesday, the first prosecution witness, Haddy Secka, informed the court that the accused, Chinu Toutas, sometime in April of this year, came to their compound in Old Jeshwang where he told her that one Kodu Manneh had instructed him to collect her child so she could breast feed it at her office at President’s Award Scheme.

“But I insisted that the child couldn’t go because Kodu did not instruct Chinu to fetch it. But he threatened that he must carry away the child or else I must be taken away myself. It was then that I went to solicit help from neighbours and knowing what I was up to, Chinu rushed out of the compound and took flight,” Haddy told the court.

In her evidence, the mother to the child who is now the subject of litigation narrated that she arrived home from work on 25 April 2007, only to be told that someone was in the house, claiming that he was instructed to collect her child.

She added: “It was a surprise to me because I had never instructed anyone to collect my child. However the next day, I was going with Haddy to the market when we encountered the accused who was preparing to brew china tea. It was then that Haddy pointed at him, saying that he was the one who came home on the pretext of collecting my child. The matter was then reported to the police and he was arrested and subsequently taken to Kanifing Estate police station.”

The case resumes 6 June 2007, for continuation of testimonies.