the village head of Jabang in Kombo North, West Coast region on Wednesday said it was the Sheriff of the High Court, who advised him to secure the services of a barrister.
Pa Ebrima Colley was giving evidence as defense witness in the trial against defense lawyer Moses Richards, a former High Court judge, accused of sedition and false information.
Richards, who pleaded not guilty, is alleged to have, on behalf of Pa Colley, his client, written a deceiving letter to the Sheriff of High that the Office of the President ordered a stay of execution of judgment in a certain civil suit.
Testifying at Banjul Magistrates’ Court presided over by magistrate Taiwo Ade Alagbe, Pa Colley recalled receiving a telephone call from a High Court staff called, Alieu, who told him that he was needed at the Sheriff’s Office at the High Court in Banjul.
He said the Sheriff of the High Court asked him if he could remember the incident that happened in his village in the 2007, which prompted government’s intervention and he answered in the affirmative.
Pa Ebrima Colley adduced that the Sherrif then advised him to secure a lawyer because there was going to be an eviction exercise as was done in 2007.
“I got frightened and asked the Sheriff what was I supposed to do” he told the court. “The Sheriff told me that I needed to secure the services of a lawyer who should write a letter for me.”
He said when he enquired from the Sherriff as to what else he was to tell the lawyer, the Sheriff then ordered Alieu, to photocopy a letter which he was later given to take to his lawyer.
Pa Colley said he then took the letter to the accused person, Moses Richards, to help him write a letter as directed by the Sherrif.
According to him, Richards directed him to consult Kebba Sanyang, also a legal practitioner, but the latter told him that he was minister of Justice at the time of the saga; that he could not write the letter.
He adduced that Mr Sanyang also directed him to consult the service chiefs. He said he unable to met the IGP but managed to speak to the deputy Inspector General of Police, who told him that it was good that he informed him.
“Few days later, the office of the Sheriff calls me again. Upon arrival, Alieu told him that the sheriff had travelled. I was taken to the office of Pa Harry Jammeh, the solicitor general.”
Trail continues Monday April 11.
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