Magistrate Ordered for Paper of Prepared Answers to Be Taken From Witness

FOROYAA Newspaper (Serrekunda)

Abdou Aziz Saho

22 June 2011

In the ongoing billion dollar cocaine trial, the prosecution has called its fifteenth witness to testify against the nine alleged drug dealers and have tendered more than thirty exhibits. Most of the witnesses who have testified are the police and narcotic officers who have taken cautionary and voluntary statements from the defendants. However, a drama unfolded in court when PW15 was found reading answers from a prepared text he had whilst in the dock as he was giving testimony on what transpired between him and the 1st ,2nd, 3rd and 9th accused persons.

Detective Sergeant Ebrima Sanneh, a resident of Brufut and a Police officer attached to the Ghana Town Police Station, said in his testimony that he took the cautionary and voluntary statements from the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 9th defendants.

When asked by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Mikailu Abdullah to give an account of how he took the said cautionary statements, the witness started reading from a small paper he was holding in his hands.

At this stage, Lamin S Camara, defence counsel of some of the accused persons stood up and said “My Lord, the witness is reading from something in his hands.

The presiding magistrate, acting Principal Magistrate Taiwo Alagbe then ordered his clerk to confirm whether what the lawyer said was true. The witness was quick to admit to the court: “Yes, I’ve some notes”.

“What! Is this an examination? Take it from him” ordered the presiding magistrate.

“What we actually need is a witness that actually did the work to come and not a witness that will be tailored” said acting Principal Magistrate Taiwo.

He added: “The weight that witnesses carry in every criminal trial is huge and as such witnesses are called by both parties to a trial to help establish the truth in the matter and protect the rule of law. This therefore raises the question, should witnesses be tailored or should they be simply guided?”

The case was then adjourned till Thursday, 23rd June, 2011, for the prosecution to continue with their remaining witnesses.

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