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Multimillion dollar cocaine trial proceeds

May 27, 2011, 1:47 PM | Article By: Malamin Conteh

The multimillion dollar cocaine trial involving nine foreign nationals continued on Tuesday at the Banjul Magistrates' Court before acting-Principal Magistrate Taiwo Alagba.

Testifying under cross-examination, the tenth prosecution witness, Lamin J. Gassama, a narcotics officer attached to Kanifing Unit, told the court that he met the 2nd accused at the panel held at the NIA headquarters.

He added that the 2nd accused was arrested on 12 May 2010, at the Cocoa Ocean Hotel, saying that their investigation revealed that the 2nd accused went to the Cocoa Ocean Hotel to meet Michael, who alleged that the cocaine he sold to Mumenatou Ceesay was given to him by the 2nd accused.

Michael was instructed by the panel to call the 2nd accused person, which he did, and they agreed to meet at the Cocoa Ocean Hotel where they converged for their first business.

Still testifying under cross-examination, the witness said: "I was part of the investigation panel that was held at the NIA headquarters were all the accused persons where interviewed and the panel later visited Bonto Village and Baoba Island."

He added that the panel first went with Gazi, but for the second trip they went as a panel and that was the time they discovered the cocaine.

He explained that Gazi was the one who led the panel to Kuloro and Bonto village because he (Gazi) negotiated for the Island so the accused persons could use it as their residence.

The case continues.