The trial on charges of economic crime involving former senior officials of the Assets Management and Recovery Corporation (AMRC), resumed yesterday at the Special Criminal Court in Banjul before Justice Emmanuel Nkea.
The accused persons are Abdoulie B. Tamba, former managing director of the corporation, Abdouile Dibba, former commercial director of the corporation and Yusupha M. Jaiteh, former acting financial director of the corporation.
Testifying, the fifth prosecution witness (PW5), Sergeant Yerro Saidy, told the court that he obtained both the cautionary and voluntary statements of the 2nd accused, Abdoulie Dibba on 7 September 2012, in the presence of an independent witness, one Ebrima Jammeh.
Sergeant Saidy further adduced that the 2nd accused recorded his own statements, which he (the witness) and the accused both signed.
At that point, the DPP showed him the statements, which the witness identified.
The DPP then applied to tender the statements, which were admitted as exhibits without any objection from the defence.
Under cross-examination, the defence counsel asked the witness whether he did any other thing in this case, other than obtaining the voluntary and cautionary statements from the 2nd accused person.
The witness said he did nothing else.
Count one stated that Abdoulie B. Tamba, Abdoulie Dibba and Yusupha M. Jaiteh, between 2009 and 2010, at Banjul, within the jurisdiction of the court whilst holding public office, willfully and recklessly caused monetary loss to Asset Management and Recovery Corporation (AMRC) to the tune of D15,450,000 by selling rice and cement to various individuals on credit without proper collaterals.
The charge sheet on count two stated that Abdoulie B. Tamba, Abdoulie Dibba and Yusupha M. Jaiteh, between 2009 and 2010, at Banjul, within the jurisdiction of the court whilst holding public office, willfully and recklessly caused monetary loss to the Asset Management and Recovery Corporation (AMRC) to the tune of D7,200,000 by fraudulently converting same to the use of Samcad Holding.
Count three read that Abdoulie Dibba and Yusupha M. Jaiteh, and other at large, between 2009 and 2010, at Banjul, within the jurisdiction of the court, whilst holding public office, in abuse of the authority of their office, took a loan of D67,200,000 on behalf of Asset Management and Recovery Corporation (AMRC) without the necessary approval of the Board of Directors.
Count four indicated that Abdoulie Dibba and Yusupha M. Jaiteh, and other at large, between 2009 and 2010, at Banjul, within the jurisdiction of the court, whilst holding public office, in abuse of the authority of their office, took a loan of D49,751,520, on behalf of Asset Management and Recovery Corporation without the necessary approval of the Board of Directors.
Count five stated that Abdoulie Dibba and Yusupha M. Jaiteh, and other at large, between 2009 and 2010, at Banjul, within the jurisdiction of the court, whilst holding public office, fraudulently converts to the use of Samcad Holding Ltd the sum of D7,200,000, being money belonging to the Asset Management and Recovery Corporation.
The case continues on 8 May 2013.