State prosecutors Monday succeeded in tendering documents in the trial involving Benedict Jammeh, former director-general of the National Drug Enforcement Agency (NDEA), and other former senior officials of the agency, at the Banjul High Court before Justice M. Abdoulahi.
The other accused persons are the agency’s former PRO, Abdoulie Ceesay, former commissioner of administration, Yusupha Jatta, and the former director of intelligence and investigation, Foday Barry.
They are being tried under a 21-count criminal charge, which included economic crime, giving false information, fabricating evidence, abuse of office, negligence of official duty, and theft, among others.
The documents tendered were the cautionary and voluntary statements of Benedict Jammeh, Foday Barry and Yusupha Jatta, through the second prosecution witness (PW2), Musa Jatta.
In his testimony, Jatta, a narcotics officer, told the court that he knew the accused persons, when they were brought before the panel at the NIA, to investigate into their activities. Jatta added that he was a member of the panel.
He said he was instructed by the head of the panel, Idrissa Jobe, to obtain both cautionary and voluntary statements from Benedict Jammeh, Foday Barry, and Yusupha Jatta, and that this was done in the presence of an independent witness.
He further stated that Benedict Jammeh asked him to record his cautionary and voluntary statements, while Foday Barry and Yusupha preferred to write their own statements, which he the witness signed.
Asked by the DPP whether he could recognize the said statements, the witness say he would recognize them if shown to him.
He identified the statements, and the DPP applied to tender them in evidence, and they were admitted as exhibits without any objection from the defence team. Hearing continues.
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