By Mama A. Touray
Immigration Commissioner Olimatou Jammeh, Wednesday, continued with her testimony in the ongoing diplomatic passport trial involving Mansa Sumareh and Ebrima J. Sanneh.
Mansa Sumareh was a chief driver at the State House whereas Ebrima J. Sanneh was a protocol officer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The two are accused of conspiracy and forgery. They are accused of conspiring among themselves to procure Gambian diplomatic passports for one Bakary K. Suso.
Jammeh is the head of the Diplomatic Passport Unit of the Gambia Immigration Department.
Lawyer Patrick Gomez for the Attorney General through witness Olimatou Jammeh tendered the Request for Verification Report dated the 22nd August 2019 where she wrote to her command asking them to inquire in the matter of Bakary K. Suso, an applicant of a diplomatic passport. Also, the second official approval letter dated 6th August 2019 having both stamps of the Office of the President and that of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were tendered into evidence through witness Jammeh.
Commissioner Jammeh said the first official approval letter that Ebrima J. Sanneh brought did not have the stamps of both the Office of the President and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She testified that Sanneh was called upon to bring an official letter with both stamps which he did so the following day. She said the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed her that she did not know the signature on the second approval letter even though it has the stamp of the Ministry. She told the court that the signature on the document was one Ndey Awa Cham.
Jammeh said at the time of the discovery of the problem in the approval letter, the passport was already printed. However, it was withheld awaiting confirmation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that the signature emanated from their office.
The printed diplomatic passport with the number D001419 and the diplomatic passport register containing the names of protocol officers who escort applicants were both tendered into evidence and were both marked as exhibits.
The case was adjourned to the 3rd June 2021 at 12 noon for the continuation of hearing.
