By Amadou Jadama
Another prosecution witness, Lamin Manjang, an anti-narcotic officer attached to the Serekunda Drug Law Enforcement Agency office yesterday testified as a prosecution witness in the trial of the Nominated Member of the National Assembly Yakumba Jaiteh and her father Yusupha Jaiteh
The two were charged with two counts bordering on assault and obstruction of law enforcement officers in the execution of their duty. They denied the charges.
In his evidence, officer Manjang recalled that on 6th October 2020 he was on duty at Serekunda station when he joined a patrol team led by one Baba Njie. He said upon arrival at Kololi at about 10pm, they stopped at Queen’s Head Bar where officers Abdoulie Jarju and Ebrima Fadera conducted a search on the suspect Tijan MacCauley.
“After the completion of their search, we boarded our vehicle and we realised that Jarju and Fadera were nowhere to be seen. Later, we heard a shout from them for help. Upon our arrival at the scene, we found the suspect was in cuffs. Yakumba Jaiteh and her father Yusupha Jaiteh were among the people who were holding the suspect Tijan at the back while Officers Jarju and Fadera were holding his hands and pulling.
“When we reached the scene, we announced ourselves as narcotics officers. Yakumba and her father Yusupha said Tijan was not going with us and they tried to rescue him. But we managed to put the suspect in the back of the pick-up, but they still tried to bring him down from the vehicle by pulling him and he fell down from the vehicle. Then we re-arrested him and put him back into the pick-up,” Officer Manjang narrated.
He said on arrival at Serekunda Police Station, Ebrima Fadera told them had sustained an injury and a swollen ear and later went to Kanifing General Hospital for medical checkup.
The witness was cross-examined by defence lawyer Lamin Camara. The case was adjourned to tomorrow.
