D-Day in cocaine 9 trial

The Banjul Magistrates’ Court is today expected to deliver judgment in the multi-million dollar cocaine trial involving nine foreign nationals.

Today’s judgment would finally bring to an end the more than a year long trial, during which the prosecution called 17 witnesses and tendered several exhibits in support of their case, while the  defence called four witnesses in their defence.

The nine accused persons are: Ephriam Micheal Chiduben a Nigerian national, Juan Carlos Sanchez, Eric Bottini, Dose Fermin, Juan Carlos Diaz, and Esteaban Zavala all Venezuelan nationals, George Sanchez a Mexican/Liberian national, as well as Rudy Rasoehamid Gazi and Dennis Wilgo Winter, both Dutch nationals.

They all pleaded not guilty to the charges of conspiracy to traffic in prohibited drugs, trafficking in drugs, dealing in prohibited drugs, having firearm without authority, importation of firearm without authority, among others.