By:Nicholas Bass
The State’s first prosecution witness Lamin Y.A Sanneh attached to Tanji Drug Law Enforcement Agency (DLEAG) on Tuesday stumbled in the dock when asked to identifyprohibited drugs against an alleged female Guinean national.
Bissau Guinean Paulo Djabi and his alleged female associate Ndadine Ismael De GouVeira were jointly charged with possession of prohibited drugs and dealing. Paulo Djabi isseparately charged with money laundering and currency disclosure while his alleged associate Mamadu Neto Djabi is facing a separate charge of possession of prohibited drugs. Neto Djabi and GouVeira are jointly charged with money laundering.
With amazement, the first prosecution witness Lamin Y.A. Sanneh failed to identify the stones of MDMA that were allegedly found with alleged female drug dealer Nadine Ismael De Gouveira after they were handed over to him totake a closer look at them.
However, Sanneh told the court that the substances were recovered from Nadine’s apartment, adding that the said substances were wrapped in a black plastic bag.
At that juncture, the State lawyer Lamin Jarjue applied for the stones and MDMA powder to be admitted into evidence as exhibits.
Defense lawyer Sheriff M. Tembadou vehemently objected to the admissibility of the MDMA powder,stating that Sanneh did not identify the alleged prohibited substance when it was given to him.
Defense lawyer S.M Tembadou did not oppose to the admissibility of the powder of MDMA.
Meanwhile, the court admitted the weighment certificate of the MDMA with 000041 with reference no:430/2023 as exhibit p11 while the analytical report of MDMA stamped and dated 31 August 2023, was also admitted as exhibit p12.
The matter is before Justice Ebrima Jaiteh of the Banjul High Court.