By Nicholas Bass
Magistrate Peter Adoh Che at the Brikama Magistrate Court recently presided over the case of Saikou Dampha who was accused of smuggling 9kg 600 grams and 6kg of cannabis via the Kalagi police checkpoint.
The accused, Saikou Dampha, a native of Bolongkono is currently facing two trials on cannabis trafficking at the Brikama Magistrate Court. Meanwhile, he was apprehended by Police officers on national duties at Kalagai checkpoint with suspected cannabis weighing 9kg and 600grams at Kalagai checkpoint on 2nd November 2020 and was arrested by Kalagi Police officer.
The suspect, however, declared to the court that he had no idea regarding the suspected cannabis.
Proving his innocence about the allegation, the accused denied that he did not see the cannabis at the scene of the crime, but he agreed that he saw the basket that contained the suspected cannabis. He further confessed that he did not know anything about the cannabis, but he signed the cannabis weighing document for he was told that he would be given bail by the court.
Muhammed Silver, the third police witness who testified against the accused in the court said Saikou knows about the alleged cannabis because he was at the scene when the cannabis was weighed, but Saikou Dampha denied this saying “I first saw the cannabis at the court.’’
Counsel Nicholas Jammeh who represented the Gambia Drug Law Enforcement Agency gave the relevance of cannabis smuggling stating that this was contrary to section 3 of the Evidence Act and section 82 of the drug control.
Officer Nicholas Jammeh also exhibited a cannabis weighing document which was dated 9th March 2021, signed by the accused, to prove the gravity of his crime. The case was then adjourned to 18th July 2022.