Mr Kanyi is the state prosecution first witness who was called by the director of public prosecution yesterday to come and testify against the embattled former justice minister as to how he secured a plot of land in the said village as well as any other issues he might know regarding the case.
He has explained a wide range of issues as to how he came to know the former justice minister as well as how a plot of land was allocated to him after going through all necessary procedures until the land was allocated to him.
Testifying before the court yesterday, the witness recalled that he came to know the accused between 2010 and 2011 when he was looking for a plot of land in his village for horticultural purposes and he was asked by the accused whether he could help him to secure a plot of land.
“The accused asked me whether he could have a plot of land and I responded in the affirmative. I asked him to buy cola nuts so that I could take it to the villagers and inform them about the matter. After informing the villagers and distributing the cola nuts, I accompanied him to the bush and after allocating a plot of land to him, he said he was satisfied. I cannot determine the exact size of the land because it was done in a traditional way,” Mr Kanyi said.
According to the witness, the accused requested from the villagers to help him to clear some part of the land which was allocated to him and as the head of the village, he conveyed the message to the villagers who later helped him to clear some part of the land allocated to him and gave the villagers a token sum of money which amount he said he could not remember.
Continuing with his evidence, the state witness further indicated that after giving the land to the accused, he cleared the remaining part of the land and went further to clear the other part which was not allocated to him. “I approached the accused to stop clearing the area which was not allocated to him but he insisted and later I saw him fencing the area with wires. I could not protest because I had no power to take him to court and I didn’t have money to secure a lawyer as he is a lawyer,” he explained. Hearing continues today.
Author: Baba Sillah
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