Case of former Food Standards and Hygiene DG proceeds

The case involving Momodou Lamin Nget, former Director General of Food Standards and Hygiene at the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, continued yesterday at the Banjul Magistrates’ Court.

Momodou Lamin Nget was alleged to have, on 13 June 2011 in Banjul, given false information to the Office of the President that Bolong Jobarteh, Karamba Keita, Kemo Touray, Ahmed Samba and Samba Sugufara, his co-accused shown on GRTS, are now scot-free in the case of the flour, and that Foday Barry, Director of Investigation and Intelligence at the NDEA, told him that his situation happens only to truthful people, and that the same thing was done to him, and that he would not accept the same to happen to any other person, which information he knew was false.

Testifying under cross-examination, the first prosecution witness (PW1) Lamin J. Gassama, a narcotics officer attached to the NDEA’s Holgam office, told the court that the accused was arrested in 2011, but could not remember the date, and that he led the team of officers to effect arrest on the accused person.

He said the accused was arrested in connection with a deal of expired flour, adding that he was never notified that the case had been investigated by the NIA.

The witness adduced that the accused was once paraded on GRTS alongside Bolong Jobarteh and Karamba Keita, but it was on two different matters.

He added that the accused’s case was about the monies found on him, and his role in the expired flour deal.

The witness stated that Bolong Jobarteh’s case was about expired flour they sold to customers.

He said his role was to investigate, write and compile the report.

“I led the team of officers to the office of the accused, and effected arrest on him and later took him to his house, where a search was conducted and money and a vehicle were recovered,” he said, adding that the searching was conducted in the presence of the accused person, and he confirmed the recovery of the said items.

The case continues on 9th January 2012.