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Gambia News: David Colley Denies Stealing

Abdou Jeli Keita

David Colley, the former Director General of the Prison Services testified before Magistrate B.Y Camara on Thursday 4 October. He said he did not steal D27, 000.00 and a generator valued at D35, 000, property of the Prisons Department. He added that Mr. Edrissa Camara, the sixth prosecution witness did not at anytime give him D27, 000 or any other monies.

He said he knew about the tractor PW6 talked about. He said it was donated by President Jammeh to the Prisons Department for farming at their farm at Yundum. He said while under detention at the Police Headquarters, he met Edrissa Camara there and the tractor issue came up. He said when Commissioner Dibba questioned PW6 Edrissa Camara, Camara alleged giving him D27, 000 and he denied this allegation in the presence of Commissioner Dibba. He said he never wrote any statement accepting that Edrissa Camara gave him money.

When asked by Defence Counsel Antouman Gaye if he knew why Camara might have leveled this allegation against him, he said while he was in detention at Mile II, Edrissa Camara was brought by the Prison authorities and detained at Mile 2 for three to four days at the remand wing in connection with the tractor. He said he was thereby threatened as a witness. He said Camara did not produce any paper showing that he (Colley) received money from him. He added that there was no iota of truth in the evidence adduced by Camara. He admitted taking the generator from Rose Klyn (PW1) and he never returned it to her. David Colley said he used the generator on his marriage ceremony to cool the soft drinks. He said the generator had a breakdown on that very day and the parts disintegrated, and he took it to his mechanic, Lamin Camara (Alias RASTA), at Ebo Town, who he said could have repaired it if money was available. He said he did not steal the generator; that Rose Klyn lent it to him. He said he could not return the generator in that broken down condition.

When cross-examined by prosecutor Touray, the accused David Colley, said he used the tractor for the purpose it was meant (i.e. farming at Yundum Farm). Prosecutor Touray put it to him that he had no intention of returning the said generator to Rose Klyn, but David said that was not true. He said he intended to return the generator. The case is adjourned to 16 October.