FOROYAA Newspaper (Serrekunda)
Musa Barrow
11 November 2009
Saikou Gibba who is on trial on false information and perjury charges the Bundung Magistrates' Court, on 4 November 2009, during cross-examination, that he refused to do what the DPP told him, that is, to testify that he saw money in the office of Demba Sowe.
He also told the court that he was invited to come from Switzerland to testify in the D1.6 million case of former NIA operatives, Sowe and Jallow. Gibba told the court in that other trial that he knew nothing about that case.
In his evidence-in-chief in his own trial, before Magistrate Kayode Olajubutu, Gibba told the court that when he was called to testify in the case involving Demba Sowe and Baboucarr Jallow, he was asked whether he knew the aforesaid person, both of whom were NIA operatives and whether he saw money in the office of Sowe.
He said his response was that he did not see money in the office of Sowe. Asked by defence counsel Assan Martin whether he at that believed that was the truth and whether he still stood by that statement, Gibba responded in the positive.
At this stage, lawyer Martins produced an exhibit and asked Gibba what was written there. Gibba who is defence witness number one said it was supposed to be his name which he spells as Saikou. However, he said what was written on the statement was Sahou not Saikou.
As to how that document came into being, DW1 said the document was written by Christopher Badjie and typed by one Fatou Sowe, a secretary to Tom Bright. Asked about the signature on the paper in question, Gibba told court it was a forged signature by Christopher Badjie.
He added that Badjie provided him with a South African passport when he was travelling. Gibba further testified that he believed his statement to the court was the truth and reputed that he gave false information to a public servant.
In his cross examination, state counsel S.H Bakum asked Gibba how he came to the conclusion that exhibit B16 was written by Christopher Badjie and his reply was that Badjie is the only person who calls him Sahou instead of Saikou. He said he was also informed by somebody closed to Badjie that Badjie wrote the statement. He explained that the person who gave him that information is coming to court to testify.
He added that the lady who allegedly typed the statement admitted to have done so and said Christopher Badjie brought the statement to her.
Continuing, Gibba said he first saw the document in question during his detention at the NIA office. He also added that he was called by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to testify as a prosecution witness in the case involving the state and two accused persons Demba Sowe and Babucarr Jallow. He said when DPP produced his statement which he wrote at the NIA office, he acknowledged that that was his statement. He said as DPP read his statement to him, Christoper Badjie entered the room and said that that was not the statement he was reffering to; that he was reffering to a typed statement.
However, Gibba said he told him that he never gave a typed statement.
He also remarked that Christopher Badjie was capable of forging his signature, because he wanted him to testify in a case which he (Badjie) has vested interest. As to what happened to his South African passport obtained by Christopher Badjie, Gibba told court it was contiscated by Swiss authorities.
At this stage, Mr. Gibba was asked by court to produce his South African passport. He did so and it was tendered and admitted as an exhibit. Asked about the signature on his South African passport Gibba said neither the signature nor the name on the passport belongs to him.
He, however, said he presented the passport in question to immigration officers when he took off from Dakar Airport.
Meanwhile, the case was adjourned till 18 November 2009 for continuation of trial.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2009 FOROYAA Newspaper. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
