By: Nicholas Bass
The Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) at the Attorney General Chambers, AM Yusuf recently filed a bill of Indictment against four Portuguese ladies and four others at the Banjul High Court.
According to the Bill of Indictment pressed against the four Portuguese ladies namely, Vilma Cabral Roel, Ana Patricia Dos Santos Furtodo, Simara Nadiya Martins, and Mirama Maria Mendes are facing three (3) counts of charges ranging from conspiracy to dealing with prohibited drugs and being in possession of the prohibited drug.
Whereas, their alleged associates namely, Seedy Ceesay, Lamin Ceesay, Yaya K. Jatta, Modou Bojang, and Muhammed Jallow are standing charges on two counts of conspiracy to deal with prohibited drugs
However, the Bill of Indictment revealed that the Portuguese ladies accused of conspiracy to deal with prohibited drugs, dealing with prohibited drugs and being in possession of prohibited drugs, all violate Section 53 (1) (a), Section 33 (1) (c) and Section 43 (4) (b) of the Drug Control Act Cap 13:05 Volume III, Revised Laws of The Gambia.
The bill of indictment also revealed that Seedy, Lamin, Yaya Modou and Muhammed are standing accusations of conspiracy to deal with prohibited drugs and deal with prohibited drugs that violate Section 53 (1) (a) and Section 33 (1) (c) of the Drug Control Act Cap 13:05 Volume III, Revised Laws of The Gambia.
According to the particulars of offence leveled against the four Portuguese ladies, on counts 1-3 revealed that Roel, Furtodo, Martins and Mendes on or about 29th June 2024 at Banjul International Airport in West Coast Region and within the jurisdiction of this honourable court were in possession of prohibited drugs.
Also stated that the Portuguese ladies were also on 29th July 2024 accused of dealing with prohibited drugs and they also conspired to smuggle three (3) luggage of cocaine from The Gambia to Barcelona, Spain by using the Vueling Flight.
The particulars of the Bill of Indictment further revealed that Modou, Seedy, Lamin, Yaya, and Muhammed on or about 29th June 2024 at Banjul International Airport, West Coast Region,The Gambia and within the jurisdiction of this court were dealing in prohibited drug and in possession of cocaine for the purpose of transporting them to Barcelona, Spain.
However, it continued in the Bill of Indictment that on 24th June 2024 at Banjul International Airport, West Coast Region, The Gambia, and within the jurisdiction of this court the alleged associates of foreign Portuguese ladies, Lamin, Modou, Yaya, and Muhammed conspired amongst themselves to smuggle three (3) luggage of cocaine from The Gambia to Barcelona, Spain by using the Vueling Flight