Girl, motorbike rider testify against Griffiths, Santos

A NINE-YEAR-OLD year-old girl was presented in court yesterday as a witness in the  2011 kidnap-murder of  schoolgirl Ellah Joy Pique .

The child’s testimony was heard behind closed doors in the judge’s  chambers because of her minor age.

According to prosecution lawyer Naomi Abarrientos, the child witness  was not intimidated by the presence of Bella Santos, the Cebuana who is accused with her British boy friend of abducting  Ellah Joy.

Ellah Joy was last seen walking home from school in Minglanilla town and accepting an invitation to hitch a ride home on a Pajero.

“The purpose of the testimony was to situate both the accused within the vicinity of the crime,” Abarrientos said.

Santos  remains detained in the Naga city jail while her British partner Ian Charles Griffiths is in Great Britain.

Earlier in the trial, the sixth prosecution witness finally testified after failing to attend court last week due to asthma attack.

“Promise gyud nako nga tagaan og hustisya ang bata (I gave my promise that I would help get justice for the child),” said Richard Bruce Bansuan. Bansuan was admitted in Barili District for two days.

He narrated before Regional Trial Court Judge Ester Veloso how he and a companion on board a motorcycle had come from a birthday party when they passed by Barili town and saw Griffiths dump a sack off the cliff before driving off in a Pajero around 11 p.m. on  Feb. 8,  2011.

Prosecution lawyer Inocencio dela Cerna said “The prosecution has pieced together the case little by little.”

Defense lawyer Rameses Villagonzalo said he remains confident they can overturn the witnesses’ testimonies in the cross-examination set on July 23. /Katreena Bisnar, Correspondent