A prosecution witness, Naffie Nyassi, has told a court that she bought three plots of land in Salagi from Lamin Touray but later discovered that the properties had allegedly been resold to other individuals. The matter is before Principal Magistrate Mam Samba Jallow at the Brusubi Magistrates' Court.
Touray, a Gambian adult male, is facing a charge of obtaining money by false pretences, contrary to Section 265 of the Criminal Offences Act, 2025. According to the particulars of the offence, the accused allegedly obtained one million five hundred and ten thousand dalasi (D1,510,000) from Nyassi in 2024 at Salagi, West Coast Region, on the pretext that he was selling her three plots of land measuring 20 metres by 25 metres each. Testifying before the court, Nyassi said she bought the first plot for D650,000, the second for D500,000 and the third for D360,000. She alleged that after purchasing the properties, she later discovered that the three plots had been resold by the accused to different individuals.
According to the witness, the individuals who allegedly acquired the properties had started construction on them. Nyassi told the court that she made several attempts to obtain the original land documents from Touray but was unsuccessful. She further alleged that the documents given to her by the accused were not genuine.
"All the documents he gave me were false documents and the stamps on them were not authentic Alkalo stamps but fake," she told the court.
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The witness said she became aware of the alleged problem when she visited the properties and found that they were either occupied or being developed by other individuals. She said neighbours in Salagi told her that the people occupying or developing the properties had asked them to watch over the plots on their behalf. Nyassi also told the court that she had witnesses who were present during the transactions between her and Touray.
She explained that the money used to purchase the three plots was not her personal money but funds provided by her husband and children, who reside in Europe. The witness said the dispute over the properties had caused serious difficulties within her family, particularly with her husband and children, who had been asking her about the land.
"I am having sleepless nights. I am encountering serious marital issues. This is very sad and is making life difficult for me," she said.
Nyassi further testified that the dispute had created tension with her children, who continued to ask her about the properties. She told the court that her marriage was also at risk as a result of the dispute. During the proceedings, prosecution officer Sisaho asked Nyassi whether she had documents or receipts relating to the transactions. The witness responded that she had the three agreements, receipts, deeds and other relevant documents relating to the purchase of the properties. The prosecution subsequently applied to tender the documents in evidence. Defence counsel did not object to their admission.
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In the absence of any objection from the defence, the Magistrate admitted the documents into evidence and marked them as exhibits. The case has been adjourned to Wednesday, August 26, 2026, for continuation of the hearing.
