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Major Crime Boss testifies in court

Apr 28, 2010, 11:26 AM | Article By: Bakary Samateh

Chief Superintendent Malamin Ceesay, Officer Commanding Major Crime Unit at the Gambia Police Force, recently testified in the trial of Henry Muosa General Manger of KGI  and Dr. Gass Jaiteh, charged with conspiracy and making documents without authorities before Magistrate Emmanuel Nkea of the Banjul Magistrates' Court.

Testifying for the prosecution, Chief Superintendent Malamin Ceesay told the court that sometime in the month of March 2009, an investigation was launched by the Kotu Police Station regarding the change of the ownership of the business from KGI International to Dr. HG Jaiteh-Njie.

The investigation, he added, was mounted following the complaint lodged by the manager of KGI International, Mr. Mousa who was invited at Kotu Police Station for questioning. He added that during the interrogation the accused had confirmed to the investigators that he acted under the command of his former boss, who is now in Zambia on an international appointment, whom he said, had instructed him to change the ownership of the business to his name.

Mr. Ceesay further adduced that the accused person also told the investigators that he approached the Registrar General at the Department of State for Justice, as well as Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA) to effect the transfer from KGI International to Dr. Gass Jaiteh-Njie.

He testified that the GRA officer, who prepared the transfer documents, was called to the station to make a statement. He added that the accused person made two statements; one at Kotu Police Station and the other at the Major Crime Office in Banjul.

At that juncture, the prosecutor Inspector Keita applied to tender the cautionary statement in court as an exhibit, which was later admitted by the court.

Mr. Ceesay further revealed that the accused also told the investigators that the email printout from Dr. Gass Jaiteh Njie had confirmed that he (the accused) acted on the instruction of his former boss.

Still testifying, Mr. Ceesay said going through the emails printout regarding the whole transaction, they discovered that only one of them was from the accused, while the rest were from the second accused.

The prosecution again applied to tender the said letter as an exhibit, but the Defence Counsel, Sheriff Marie Tambedou objected to the prosecution's application to tender the email printout on the grounds that proper foundation was not laid. He therefore urged the court not to grant the application.

Hearing continues.