Mariama Janneh, the third prosecution witness in the ongoing criminal case involving one Omar Simaga, a 'Marabout', who was charged for obtaining money by false pretence, on Tuesday, gave her evidence-in-chief before Senior Magistrate Kumba Sillah-Camara of the Bundung Magistrates Court.

Mrs Janneh told the court that she and her accomplices, Alagie Njie and Modou Musa Jallow, had gone to the accused person and explained their problem to him, who had promised to solve their problem.

According to her, she had a friend by the name Samuel Hesekoi Bevons, who had told her that he had a 'devil' wife whom he wanted to appear face-to-face, instead of appearing to him spiritually.

She said the accused promised to enter 'Kalouwa' (a spiritual seclusion that lasts for seven days) at the end of which the 'devil' wife would be expected to appear before Mr Bevons face-to-face, rather than in dream.

She added that the accused, before starting the process, had told them that they should pay US$20,000, of which US$5,000 was supposed to be paid upfront, with the remaining sum of US$15,000 settled at the completion of the work.

According to her, she had accepted to pay that amount just to make sure that the 'devil' appears face-to-face to her friend, as requested by the latter.

Mrs Janneh further revealed that the accused then entered the 'Kalouwa' at the end of which he instructed her to give out some charity. She said that she later started paying the accused by instalments, noting that an amount of D77,000, excluding the US$5,000 deposit, was eventually paid to the accused.

She said that the accused later cautioned her that paying the money by instalments was not the solution to the problem, urging them to pay it as agreed.
PW 3 further told the court that they then paid the accused D135,000, excluding the D77,000 and the initial deposit of US$5,000.

Mrs Janneh further said that when the accused received the said amount of money, he promised to enter 'Kalouwa' for the second time, which he failed to do, given excuses on a number of occasions.

Two months later, she went on, the accused promised them that he was going to enter the 'Kalouwa' on the first day of Ramadan, and he told them that before he would enter, they must provide him with the following: three bags of rice, three bags of sugar, three tins of tomato paste and three tins of Vega milk, plus a mobile phone.

She said the Marabout demanded three of each of the items he requested because he had three wives. According to her, they provided all the requested materials, and that the accused later told them that he was going to enter for another time, saying that if they were not satisfied with the job he would refund them.

At that juncture, the presiding magistrate adjourned the case to August 26, for cross-examination.

Inspector Saine represented the IGP during the trial.