Italian National’s Trial Opens

The trial of Fedeli Demonico, an Italian national, opened yesterday before Magistrate Kayode of the Banjul Magistrates’ Court.

Mr Domenico is being tried in The Gambia for allegedly stealing a motor vehicle, Bjl 4063B, the property of the Kanilai Family Farm.

Testifying, Fansu Faburay told the court that he is the Assistant Superintendent of Police in charge of number plates and transfer section of vehicles. “I know the accused person,” he stated. “In the month of January 2008, I was in my office when I received a telephone call from one Superintendent Manlafi Sanyang, who was attached to State House, saying that the President of The Gambia gave out a motor vehicle with registration number Bjl 4063B ‘Ssanyong karando’ 4wheel-drive vehicle as a gift to the accused, Fedeli Demonico,” he added.

“Manlafi Sanyang told me to effect transfer of the said vehicle to the accused. On reply, I told him that transfer can only be effected if an application of transfer is sent to my office from State House,” he narrated.

He told the court that after some time in the month of January 2008, all of a sudden, he saw a police intervention officer with the accused in his office with a letter of transfer in respect of the vehicle in question.
 
He adduced that the letter was from Government Transport Control Unit. He explained that according to the letter, the head of the Government Transport Control Unit is Superintendent Manlafi Sanyang.

He told the court that the letter was signed by Superintendent Manlafi Sanyang, noting that his name was mentioned at the bottom of the letter.

Officer Faburay further stated that after cross-checking the records in his office regarding said vehicle, he found out that they tallied, hence he effected the transfer of the vehicle to the accused, Fedeli Demonico.

“I issued a certificate of transfer in favour of the accused, which I stamped”.

He concluded that some days later he was called by the prosecution to make a statement about the transfer of said motor vehicle, which he did.

Case has been adjourned to 12 March 2008.