Lamin Samba Danso, a vehicle dealer, recently opened his defence before Acting Principal Magistrate Kumba Sillah-Camara of the Bundung Magistrates Court. Danso is embroiled in a legal tussle with his former lover, Jetty Van Dersluis, who claims that he (Danso) owes her money.

The defendant told the court that the complainant sent D90,000 to him through Western Union Money Transfer to buy a car sometime in 2007.

He said that he bought the car at D75,000 from one guy called Lamin Sanneh without any documents except a receipt issued to him.

When the Principal Magistrate asked about the receipt issued to him, he answered that he could produce the receipt but that it was not with him.

He further explained to the court that he collected the vehicle from the seller, Lamin Sanneh but when the plaintiff arrived in The Gambia, he handed it over to her upon her request.

Lamin Samba Danso continued that the plaintiff then told him that all monies she had sent to him when she was in her home country, Holland, should be refunded as she had only given them to him as loans.

The defendant added that he could not remember the total amount of money he had received from the plaintiff "because it didn't all come at once."

The defendant claimed that the money was never a loan because "when the love was sweet, she gave them to me and said, 'if you have any problem just tell me!'"

Lamin Danso only admitted owing her the sum of D15, 000, which the complainant sent to him when his car's gear box was having a problem. This amount, the defendant said he has not returned yet because Jetty told him that he could pay it back any time that he had the money.

The case was later adjourned to 3 November 2008.