By Bruce Asemota
Lawyer Abdoulie Sissoho, the legal counsel for the embattled former Junta member, Yankuba Touray yesterday applied for the High Court to issue an arrest warrant for the Executive Secretary of the TRRC, Dr Baba Galleh Jallow.
Lawyer Abdoulie Sissoho made this application whilst he was cross examining the second prosecution witness, Ensa Mendy.
Lawyer A Sissoho disclosed that a subpoena was issued under section 221 of the Evidence Act and served to Dr Baba Galleh Jallow to furnish the court with certain documents on 4 November, 2019 but he did not show up.
Lawyer Sissoho stated that subpoena is a command and failure to obey, the court has a duty to act and he therefore urged the court to issue a bench warrant for his arrest and to appear before the court.
In his response, state counsel A.M.Yusuf argued that there are primary rules guiding criminal trial.
He said it is baffling for defence counsel Sissoho to call for a witness at this stage when the present witness, PW2 has not been dispensed with.
He submitted that the application of Sissoho was an afterthought and should not be accepted by the court but suggested that the proper procedure of calling a witness in a criminal trial is in section 117 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
Lawyer Yusuf argued that section 221 sought to be relied on by lawyer Sissoho is a general provision and therefore urged the court to discontinue with the submission of lawyer Abdoulie Sissoho but asked him to continue cross examination of PW2, Ensa Mendy.
The Presiding Judge, Ebrima Jaiteh adjourned the matter to 11 November.
