All things being equal, officer Momodou Suwareh of the Gambia Police Force (GPF) will be charged for forgery, this paper can reveal.

An order for officer Suwareh to be charged with falsifying the official stamp of the Alkalo of Farato village was earlier this week issued by the Brikama Magistrates' Court chaired by John Njie.

Suwareh is alleged to have used the stamp of the Farato Alkalo for a transfer of a plot of land which was not his. He was sometime this month ordered alongside the Alkalo of Farato to pay D18,000 for receiving D17,000 from a certain lady on pretext of selling a plot of land to her

The Tallinding youth, who has been standing trial on allegation of drug trafficking, has told the court that his refusal to sell marijuana on behalf of a narcotic drug officer was the chief reason for his arrest.

Musa Badjie told the court that he was severally approached by Musa Jarju, a narcotic drug officer, to sell some drugs for him as well as foment with drug traffickers so as to furnish the drug squad with relevant information revolving around illegal drugs.

He added:“Musa Jarju informed me that if any information I give lead to anybody’s arrest, I will be given the confiscated drug to sell it out but I refused. On a certain day, Jarju, accompanied by other officers, drove in a Pajero to my house with some quantities of marijuana and asked me to sell for them. Musa Jarju threatened that if I don’t comply, they will arrest and accuse me of being the owner of the drug. It was then that I was arrested and taken to Serekunda police station.”

It would be recalled that Musa Badjie was sometime last year arrested for allegedly being found in possession of 132kg and 500g of marijuana and is still undergoing trial at the Brikama Magistrates’ Court.

Senior Magistrate EF M’Bai of the Brikama Magistrates Court has told one Lamin Jammeh, a police officer that it is not the role of the police to collect debt.

The plain speaking Magistrate made this remark during the proceedings of a civil case between one Buba Darboe, the complainant and Ousainou Marreh the defendant over the selling of a cow given to Marreh by Darboe.

Mr Jammeh told the court that the complainant reported to his relief commander at the Brikama police station that he gave a cow to the defendant to sell it at D9000. He said that when the defendant was summoned to the police station to explain his side of the story, he admitted it and promised to pay the money on a specific date to the police for forward delivery to Mr Darboe.

Jammeh further told the court that the defendant made a down payment of D2,900 to him at the police station. Later, he went on, Darboe came to the station and told him that he was travelling to Basse but that his brother a teacher would collect the money from him if the defendant paid.

“After some days, a man whose name I could not remember came to me and said that he was sent by Darboe (the complainant) to collect the money which he ( Mr Jammeh ) gave him.

But Darboe told the court that he did not send any one to collect any thing from Mr Jammeh [the police officer]

Magistrate M’Bai then told Mr Jammeh that as a police officer, he had nothing to do with civil matters neither to be a debt collector. “You dont have to entertain such ” he told the officer

The case was then adjourned for continuation.

The on-going criminal trial involving Omar Jarjusey and Karamo Saidy, both personnel of the Gambia Police Force (GPF), was on Monday adjourned to 9th October, 2007, by Senior Magistrate Buba Jawo of the Bundung Magistrates’ Court.

The officers first appeared in the court on Monday March 12, charged for conspiracy, kidnapping and robbery, with violent conduct, contrary to Section 368,236 and 273 of the Criminal Code, Laws of The Gambia 1990.

According to the particulars of the offence, count one stated that on March (1) 2007, at Kololi in the Kombo Sait Mary, Omar Jarjusey and Karamo Saidy connived and stole the sum of 3000 Euros from one Mr John.

Count two revealed that, in the month of March 2007, at Brufut Kombo North Western Region, the two accused persons kidnapped or abducted one Mr John at Elephant Guest House, Brufut from 1st to 2rd March 2007.

Count three also indicated that, on 1st of March 2007, at Kololi in the Kanifing Municipality, Omar Jarjusey and Karamo Saidy forcefully robbed one Mr John and Johanese of 3000 Euros.

When the case was called on Monday, Police Prosecutor, Sergeant 772 Samateh of the Bundung Police Prosecution Unit, informed the court that he cannot precede with the case, due to the absence of his second witness, who is to be cross-examined by the Defence Counsel, Lawyer Kamara. He then applied for an adjournment and further told the court that in the event that his second witness fails to appear on the next adjournment date, he would apply for the second witness’ evidence to be expunged; and proceed with the third witness.

This application was then granted by Magistrate Jawo, following the Defence Counsel’s no objection.