Omar Bah, a police officer attached to the Kairaba Police Station, yesterday, testified before Magistrate BO Jobe of the Kanifing Magistrates Court as the first prosecution witness in the ongoing criminal trial involving one Abdou Jallow, who is standing trial for an attempted felony.

Jallow is charged with trying to obtain money by false pretence at the Serrekunda market in August this year. Testifying before the court, Bah said on August 7th, while he was on duty at the Kairaba Police Station, one Momodou Ceesay (the complainant) came to lodge a complaint that his money had been stolen. According to him, he asked the complainant what kind of transaction took place between him and the person who was purported to have stolen his money. He told the court that the complainant then informed him that the accused had used false pretext to obtain money from him.

The witness added that he then went to the Serrekunda market to investigate the matter. Upon arrival, he continued, he was accosted by the accused who told him that he is a native of Brikama and had come to Serekunda to locate his brother but had no money to return to Brikama. 

The witness further stated that he then took out ten dalasis and gave it to the accused who then proceeded to leave but stopped after a few steps and came back. He said the accused then told him that a good dog deserves a good bone and he (the accused) would pay him for what he had done for him.

The police officer told the court that the accused then told him that he and his brother are fortune tellers, and advised him to buy a bucket, candles and bananas and to give them to him (the accused) to take to his brother. The police officer further testified that he then told the accused that he had no money at that point in time but asked him to follow him to his home for the money.

He said when the accused followed him, he took him to the police station for questioning. He said the accused refused to produce his brother (the marabout). The case was then adjourned to Monday, 14th September, 2009 to enable the police prosecutor, 525 Jawo, to call his other witness.