Gambia SSS principal testifies in court

Lamin B Jaiteh, principal of Gambia Senior Secondary School, last Thursday, testified in the ongoing criminal case involving one Alieu Jagne and Ebrima Secka, who are standing trial on charges of criminal trespass and for being rogues and vagabonds, in a case presided over by Magistrate Kayode Olajubutu of the Banjul Magistrates Court.

In his evidence-in-chief, Jaiteh said on 13 December, 2007, while in his office, he was asked by one Ebenzer if he had given permission to the accused persons to interview teachers and students in the school and he answered in the negative .

“I then went to approach the accused persons to find out what happened. I found the first accused holding a video camera, whilst the second accused was conducting the interview. I asked them who gave them permission to carry out the interviews.

The first accused told me that they were asked by ‘President Jammeh to make a documentary on The Gambia as The Gambia is not exposed’ to the outside world,” he told the court.

Mr Jaiteh informed the court that Alieu Jagne further told him that the president invited him for the Tobaski, during which he had a discussion with the president and an agreement was reached to make a documentary on The Gambia.

According to Mr Jaiteh, he told the accused persons that they should have sought clearance from the school authorities before conducting the interviews, but the first accused insisted that they are Gambians and have the right to enter the school without permission from anybody.

“I told them to surrender the film but they refused and ran away. I reported the matter to the police,” Jaiteh told the court. At this point, the magistrate adjourned the case for further hearing.