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| Amie Bojang-Sissoho |
amie BojangSissoho, women’s right activist standing trial on theft allegation has told the Banjul Magistrates’Court that her organisation gave 3000 dalasis to each woman during the‘dropping of the knife’ in 2009, held in Basse.
However, the prosecutor said the ex-circumcisers did not know what they were thumb printing, describing the women as ‘illiterates’.
“I agreed that they are illiterates, but we communicated to them through their various local languages,” Bojang advanced.
“What you saying is not true,” the prosecution further pressed.
Mrs. BojangSissoho alongside Dr. Isatou Touray, executive director of GAMCOTRAP, are standingtrial at the Banjul Magistrates’ Court on a charge of theft.
They are accused of stealing €30, 000 which they denied.
“How many times were you called at the National Drug Enforcement Agency,” the prosecutor further asked.
“I cannot remember but it was in October 2010, but we were asked to report every Monday,” Mrs. Sissoho replied, adding that they have been reporting to an NDEA office until one day when they were asked to report to NDEA headquarters in Banjul.
“At Banjul we were told the case is in the hands of the prosecutor. We were then escorted to the police headquarters, and we were put in a police cell without knowing the charge against us,” she added.
The statement of the accused was tendered at this juncture by the prosecutor as evidence.
Still under cross-examination, the prosecutor told the court that micro-finance was part of a deal between YolocambaSolidaridad, a Spanish-based NGO and GAMCOTRAP.
“That is not true,” said Mrs. Sissoho.“We have no authority to run micro-finance credit because that is not our mandate.”
“Am putting it to you that it was part of the agreement to find expert to do micro-finance credit,” the prosecutor advanced.
But the accused said that is not true.“All what I have said is the complete truth,” she said
The case continues on May 3, 2012
Author: Binta A Bah
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