By: ML Jaiteh
Gambia’s notorious financial swindler, Karanta Darboe, on Friday appeared before the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court facing multiple charges including collection of money by false pretence and counterfeiting.
Darboe, an alleged economic hit man and serial swindler, is facing charges ranging from obtaining goods by false pretence to possession of counterfeit currencies and has victimized over 60 business people and other individuals.
He is said to have duped businesspersons in Gambia’s largest commercial town of Serre Kunda in Kanifing Municipality and got away with large sums of money and goods taken from shops, food stores and foreign exchange bureaux in the town and its environs.
Testifying as a prosecution witness on Thursday, Momodou Faal, a resident of Bakoteh Village in Serre Kunda, narrated to the court how he had met Karanta Darboe in Candy Shop Food store owned by Dawda Drosery, an ex-American soldier living in the Gambia on 10 May 2019.
The witness said they exchanged greetings and the accused asked him to take goods and he (Darboe) would pay the bills.
Faal disclosed that he accordingly took goods mainly foodstuffs valued at 450 to 500 Gambian dalasis, approximately (US$10) and later left the store.
Few days later Faal said he got the information that Darboe had made away with 14,000 Gambian dalasis about ($280) worth of goods taken from the store without paying for it.
During cross-examination, Darboe put to the witness, Mr. Faal, that he took items worth 1,500 Gambian dalasis only about ($30).
Karanta also asked the witness if he had seen him collecting items like: milk powder, Red Bull drink and other goods from the mini market. In reply, the witness said he saw some items arranged near the counter but could not recall all the items the accused had taken.
Meanwhile, Dawda Rowsey, a retired black American soldier who has now chosen Gambia as his second home and operates a food store and Candy shop in Bakoteh Layout Town, had informed the court how Darboe went to his shop and got away with goods worth over 14,000 dalasis, (approximately US$280).
He said the swindler drove to his store and started loading his vehicle with items only for him to return to the counter with Swedish Kroner notes.
Rowsey revealed that Darboe then told his cashier to keep the foreign currency while he would go and change some Kroner into Gambian dalasis promising to return to the shop so he could pay in local currency.
According to Rowsey, the alleged swindler never returned to the shop and on realizing that he was duped, reported the matter to the police where he was told Darboe had carried out similar mischievous acts against over 50 victims.