By: Nicholas Bass
Justice Ebrima Jaiteh of Banjul High Court on Tuesday admitted into evidence 26,950 euros in the ongoing Banjul cocaine drug case involving four (4) Portuguese nationals with four (4) Gambian youths.
Following the testimonies of the 13th and 14th prosecution witnesses, Benard Mendy and Momodou Yahya Jallow, who all confirmed before Justice Ebrima Jaiteh of Banjul High Court of a recovery of euros from the 7th accused person, Yahya K. Jatta.
Defense lawyers, however, objected to the admissibility of the euros following Jallow’s (pw14) testimony when he told the court that the sum of euros recovered from Jatta was 126,950 euros. Defense lawyers also argued that the said euros should be tested to know if they are genuine or not.
At that juncture, the presiding Judge, Justice Jaiteh ordered for the Judiciary Financial Controller (name withheld) to be called to count the amount of euro that was sealed, stating that it (euro) should be authenticated by The Central Bank of The Gambia before its admitted as an exhibit.
After the euro was authenticated by the Central Bank of The Gambia, the state’s central bank confirmed that the said euros in question were genuine.
The state lawyer M Singateh applied for it to be admitted and marked as an exhibit and the same was granted as exhibit P18.
In his ruling, the trial Judge, Justice Jaiteh ordered exhibit P18 (euros) to be promptly handed over to the Director General of the Drug Law Enforcement Agency of The Gambia (DLEAG), Demba Ceesay while emphasizing that such should be under ‘’custodia legis for safekeeping by the prosecutor Mariama Singateh” before it finally handed to DLEAG DG.
”This sum must be protected with the highest level of diligence and care, ensuring it remains intact and is readily available for presentation to this Honorable Court upon request’’, Justice Jaiteh ordered.
The Justice added that the DG of DLEAG shall furnish the court with a formal receipt, which according to him shall serve as definitive evidence of the receipt of exhibit P18 (Euro).
‘’Any failure to comply with this order will not be tolerated and will result in appropriate legal consequences. This court expects unwavering adherence to this order to maintain the integrity of the judicial process’’, Justice Jaiteh ruled.
Meanwhile, according to the particulars of offence in count one (1) Vilmar Cabral Roel, Ana Patricia Dos Santos Furtodos, Simara Nadiya Martins, and Miriam Maria Mendes on or about the 29 June 2024 at Banjul International Airport in West Coast Region of The Gambia and within the jurisdiction of this honourable court had 33kg,600g gross weight of cocaine for trafficking.
The particulars in count two (2) also revealed that Vilmar Cabral Roel, Ana Patricia Dos Santos Furtodos, Simara Nadiya Martins, Miram Maria Mendes, Seedy Ceesay, Lamin Ceesay, Yaya K. Jatta, Modou Bojang, and Muhammed Jallow on or about the 29, June 2024 at Banjul International Airport in West Coast Region of The Gambia and within the jurisdiction of this honourable court were dealing in prohibited drug and were involved in the transportation of a prohibited drug.