Police Witness Trembles In Court- As Darboe Grilled  Witness

By Staff Reporter James Jammeh Banjul

In Femi Peters Trial Darboe Holds Police OC Registry. The trial of UDP’s Campaign Manager, Femi Peters, continued at the Kanifing Magistrate's Courts, before Principal Magistrate Joseph Emmanual Ikpala, on Thursday January 21st, 2010, with the defense counsel, Lawyer ousainou Darboe, continuing on his cross examination of the prosecution’s fourth witness (PW4).

Mr Darboe asked PW4, in the person of the Officer Commanding Registry Department at the Gambia Police Headquarters in Banjul, Superintendent Ken Mendy, if he could produce a rejection letter for the ruling APRC which was not approved by the police to hold any rally. PW4 then produced a document before the court, and, subsequently, it was admitted as exhibit D2.

Darboe went on to ask the witness whether exhibit D2 was approved by the IGP. But PW4 responded in the negative. Defense counsel further asked the witness whether he knew that the applicant, Femi Peters, was an opposition member. The witness replied in the positive.

Going further, Darboe quizzed the witness why was it not approved, Superintendent Ken Mendy then said that he could not ascertain as to why the application was not approved. An application by the ruling APRC for holding any political rally was produced before the court and was marked as exhibit D3.

Still in cross examination, Darboe said the rally supposed to be held on the 7th of August 2001. The witness replied in the positive. The defense counsel, during his marathon cross examination, also asked the witness why was the application not rejected. The witness replied that he did not know, saying that he is not the one to approve the application.

However, Darboe put it to him that exhibit D3 was made up. The witness denied it. He also stated that exhibit A and D2 are limited to the IGP. When asked by the defense counsel whether on the front and back of exhibit D3, there was any minute to the IGP. In response, he confirmed that on the front of exhibit D3, there was no minute to the IGP.

Darboe also said, ‘‘you will agree with me that, exhibit D3 was not from the APRC Campaign Manager. "Yes'', replied Superintendent Ken Mendy.

"Why do you issue a permit to a small ward and deny the minority leader,’’ Darboe asked.  "I do not know," Mendy said.

"Was exhibit D3 the only application by the APRC you could trace out?’’  ‘‘Yes,’’ again said the witness.

Darboe then asked the witness whether he knew that the National Mobilizer of the APRC was embarking on a country wide tour. He said no, he did not know. The defense further asked him if he received any application from the ruling party, he replied in the negative.

The case was at this juncture adjourned to the 2nd of February, 2010 at 1030 am, for the prosecution to call in their next witness in the ongoing trial.