The criminal matter involving the State against three accused persons charged for abduction, assault causing actual bodily harm and stealing resumed yesterday before Justice Moses Richards of the Special Criminal Court in Banjul.

The three are Sheriff Jallow, Gibril Jallow and Banna Joiner. At yesterday's sitting, one police officer, Dampha  of the Major Crime Unit, informed the court that he had the Unit's dairy  which the court had asked for him to produce. He disclosed that the entry of the sum of D75,000 was entered on the exhibit column.

The witness recalled that the accused persons were brought from the Kotu Police Station to the Major Crime Unit on November 19, 2008, and that their statements  were subsequently recorded. During examination by DDPP Mikailu Abdulali, the witness revealed that the sum of D75,000 was received from the accused persons. Also testifying at the court was one  Dr Abubacarr Jagne of Sukuta village, a medical officer at the RVTH, told the court that he met the victim, Ismaila Demba  when he was brought to the Accident and Emergency ward, accompanied by a police officer.

He explained that when the victim arrived at the Accident and Emergency ward, he was restless and had a laceration on his trunk and his face. He said the victim was treated and later discharged. Another witness also  disclosed that he had an injury on his right cheek. The medical certificate, photographs and copies of the relevant pages of the Major Crime Unit's dairy were tendered and marked as exhibits. On the issue of the passport of Modou Musa Cham, a witness the court has ordered to produce his passport, DDPP Mikailu Abdulahi tendered the copy of a letter faxed by the witness' mother, who is currently in the UK.

The DDPP then craved the court's indulgence to give the witness some time to produce his passport as his mother was still out of the jurisdiction.
Justice Richards then adjourned the matter to September 16, 2009, for the witness to produce his passport. "You will have to endeavour to get your passport to the court and should  you fail to do so, you will be charged for contempt," he warned.