One Edward Bubacarr Okoro, on Wednesday, appeared before Senior Magistrate Abdoulie Mbake of the Kanifing Magistrates Court facing charges of being in possession of firearms, to which he pleaded not guilty.

Giving his testimony, the first prosecution witness, one Alagie Manneh, a military police officer at Yundum Barrack, told the court that on 7th January 2009, while sitting in his office, he received a telephone call from one Lieutenant Manneh at the Defence Headquarters in Banjul informing him that there was a man in Serrekunda who was presenting himself as an intelligence officer and using a false name, 'Edward'. Manneh narrated that they went to the scene, and on their way, they met some drug squad personnel who had already arrested the accused.

According to the prosecution witness, they conducted a body search on the accused but nothing was found on him. He further narrated that Lieutenant Manneh at that juncture ordered the accused to move with them to his house where they also conducted a search and came across a pistol marked mod 5A 8MM under a table. Manneh added that when the accused was asked about the said pistol, he responded that he once served in the army, during which he was posted to Farafenni North Bank Region, where he got the said pistol.

The witness explained that the accused was later escorted to the Yundum Barracks where he gave his statement.