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Immigration intelligence officer testifies in court

Feb 6, 2015, 10:44 AM | Article By: Nyimansata Cham

One Kebba Sandeng, an immigration intelligence officer posted at Giboro, recently testified before Magistrate Isatou Janneh of the Brikama Magistrates’ Court in the trial involving Alasana Sanneh and Karamo Colley.

Officer Sandeng told the court that he recognized the two accused persons, Alassana Sanneh and Karamo Colley, and could recall what happened on 16 December 2014, at about 10 p.m.

He received a call that two people with motorbikes were coming from Sility (Casamance) to Giboro (Gambia).

The two accused arrived with three passengers, two Sierra Leonean nationals and one Gambian.

They were all taken to the Giboro Police Station; later the Gambian was released, and the two foreigners were sent back to where they came from, he said.

According to him, he got instructions that whosoever comes from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea, where the deadly Ebola virus is, should be sent back.

Officer Sandeng added that the accused used to bring passengers from Sility to Giboro when the border was closed, and entered in the country without the knowledge of the intelligence officers.

The case was adjourned to 10 February 2015.

According to the particulars of offence on 16 December 2014, at the Giboro border in The Gambia, Alassana Sanneh and Karamo Colley entered the country using other diverse places, disobeying the lawful order of the Director of Immigration by deliberately smuggling into the country two Sierra Leonean nationals, Aminata Ceesay and Fatoumata Bangura, when they knew or have reason that the two had been refused entry because they came from the Ebola epidemic zone.