You're gonna love this!!!!!!!!!!!!! Haruna. I think the idiot Begona Sanchez should plan on coming back to Gambia for another hearing. I'll let you know later what that hearing will be about.
Courtesy: Jollofnews / Maafanta.com
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GAMCOTRAP: Court Hearing of 3rd February 2011.
Monday, 07 February 2011 20:56
Below is an
update from Gambia Committee for Traditional Practices (GAMCOTRAP) on
the trial
of its senior officials - Dr Isatou Touray, Executive Director and Amie
Bojang Sissoho, Programme Coordinator which resumed on January 29th with
a Spanish witness testifying:
If Begoña Ballesteros Sanchez did not initiate the allegation of theft against GAMCOTRAP, then who did?
On
the final day of her cross examination of the PW8, the director of
Yolocamba Solidaridad Begoña Ballesteros Sanchez was again reminded that
she was still under oath to tell the truth in court and she
acknowledged it.
During
the cross examination Begoña identified an email correspondence which
had attachment of the financial reporting format Yolocamba sent to
GAMCOTRAP and was completed and returned. This documented was tendered
by the defence Counsel and was accepted as I.D. She answered in the
affirmative that all the terms and conditions of the Cooperation
agreement has been made by 5th February 2009 and that no document was
provided by GAMCOTRAP to indicate that they are experts in micro
credit.
She also told the court that she does not have any
document to indicate that Koina and Brikamaba Clusters are the Project ,
but Santiago de Migiuel representative of the Region of Madrid visited
the project sites in Koina and Brikamaba on the 8th February 2010 and
they returned at night to prepare for the Conference on the 10th
February 2010, which is contrary to what she wrote in her statement ,
which is Exhibit ‘G’ in the trial that “they didn’t want him to
visit other places related to the project”.
Begoña answered in the
positive that the Region of Madrid has not yet approved the final report
of GAMCOTRAP because she denied that Yolocamba Solidaridad has received
it and that the project is not closed. She however agreed that there
was a second project for 2010 approved in December 2009 but a
cooperation agreement has not been signed between Yolocamba Solidaridad
and GAMCOTRAP. Defence Counsel Amie put it to her that if the first
project was not effective she would not have received the money for the
second project.
The witness also denied ever going to Cassamance,
Lawyer Bensouda put it to her that she was lying or Jon was lying and
showed her an email with that information which was copied to her. At
this point, Prosecution Officer, Sainey Joof objected to making
reference to the email because it is a secondary document Defence
counsel said it was important because it was correspondence between
Yolocamba and GAMCOTRAP administration and the Defence Counsel has to
establish the credibility of the witness in saying the truth. Begoña
also told the court that Daniel Giddings no longer works with Yolocamba
Solidaridad since October 2010. She said Daniel was part of the project
but the accused persons did not want to work with him. Defence Lawyer
Bensouda told the witness that she introduced Daniel to GAMCOTRAP in May
2010, fourteen (14) months after the project started to falsely work in
an non-existent micro credit project with GAMCOTRAP.
In responding
to the Defence question why Ebrima Tamba of Kunta Kinte Beach Bar, who
is the witness’ personal friend and not a staff of Yolocamba involved in
an issues dealing with the project. Begoña said she would not like to
discuss her personal life nor Ebrima Tamba. Magistrate Taiwo Ade
Alagde not aware that Ebrima Tamba gave a statement to the investigation
team and his statement is in the Police report intervened to stop the
defence not to question the witness about him, later retracted when the
Defence confirmed to him that Ebrima Tamba’s statement is part of the
Exhibits in court.
Begoña said as a friend, Ebrima Tamba
facilitated for her to meet the authorities at the same time said the
authorities contacted her. As she insisted on both, Magistrate Alagde
asked “which one do you want us to belief, because you told this court
that it was the authorities that contacted you and now you said Ebrima
Tamba facilitated for you to meet the authorities”. At this point she
responded that Ebrima Tamba facilitated the meeting with the authorities
and she received a telephone call through Tamba. Begoña said she did
not seek for a mediator despite the fact that she knew GAMCOTRAP had a
Board. Defence Lawyer Bensouda asked why she did not follow at least
three of the dispute resolution methods; negotiation, mediation or civil
litigation. She said it costs money to have a mediator.
Defence Asked: “Do you want Isatou and Amie to be convicted?”
Begoña, PW8: “No, I don’t”
Defence Asked: “Do you want them to be punished?”
Begoña, PW8: “No!”
Defence Asked: “Are you saying they stole the money?”
Begoña, PW8: “No, I did not initiate this process.”
Defence
Lawyer Amie Bensouda further told her “You are violating the
fundamental human rights of Isatou and Amie. All you are entitled to is
a financial report and if you want you can ask for audit of the project
funds.” The Defence tendered emails from GAMCOTRAP to Yolocamba
Solidaridad dated February 2010 and March 2010 and the Prosecution did
not object to it. The emails were marked as Defence Exhibit ‘5’ and
Defence Exhibit ‘6’, which said the end of project reports have been
sent.
Amie Bensouda concluded that putting GAMCOTRAP officials
through such a situation is a disgrace to Yolocamba Solidaridad, and
Begoña Ballesteros Sanchez agreed that it was an embarrassment.
The
Prosecution was asked if he had any further questions for his witness
and he replied in the negative and applied for the case to be adjourned.
Principal Magistrate Taiwo Ade Alagde thanked the witness PW8,
Begoña Ballesteros Sanchez for her patience and wished her a safe
journey back home, despite several attempts when he had asked the
Prosecution to control his witness during the hearings. Magistrate
Alagde then adjourned the case for 16th February 2010.
It could be
observed that public interest was still marked by the full court room
amongst them officials of the United States Embassy in Banjul and the
media. In fact today’s hearing also interested the Police Intervention
Unit officials not only take their usual positions around the court
premises but also to hear firsthand what the witness had to say and some
stood for the first time at the door inside the court.