Mr Jassey said he did not know what was reported on the newspaper and he was only informed when the lawyer for the accused persons asked him during cross-examination whether it was true that apart from what he was told he knew nothing about the case,
Sainey Marenah, a freelance journalist and Musa Sheriff, editor of the The Voice newspaper are on trial at the Banjul Magistrates Court on two counts of conspiracy to commit misdemeanour and publication of false news.
They are accused of conspiring and publishing on the newspaper that 19 Green Youths joined the opposition UDP on 6 December 2013, knowing that the said publication was likely to cause fear to the public or disturb the public peace. They pleaded not guilty.
According to Mr Jassey’s testimony, he was working on the president’s farm in Batokunku when the son of Tanji alkalo informed him about the publication on The Voice newspaper that 19 Green Youths had defected to the UDP.
However, he told the court that the youths were not in the village that week. “There were only eight of us on the farm and I went around the village looking for the youths but I did not see anyone. I was later told by the secretary that they were in Kanilai, Brikama and Kanifing.”
This prompted the lawyer to object that the witness was only relying on what he was told and not what he saw.
When the witness said he knew nothing about the case, the police prosecution Musa Camara repeated to the witness during re-examination if there were only eight people on the president’s farm. However, the question was expunge after Lawyer Lamin Camara objected.
The presiding magistrate, Muhammed Krubally, ruled that the question was ‘ambiguous’ and that there was inconsistency in the evidence of the witness.
The trial will resume on August 21 for continuation of hearing.
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