Biram Jobe, officer commanding fraud squad at the Police Headquarters in Banjul, Thursday testified at the Bundung Magistrates' Court in the trial of Ali Ceesay and two others, who were charged with obtaining money by false pretence.
Ali Ceesay, Modou Camara and Ebrima Jallow were alleged to have obtained D80,000 from one Momodou Lamin Cham, under the pretext of securing a visa for him.
OC Jobe testified as the third prosecution witness and told the court that the 1st accused, Ali Ceesay, was brought to his office in May 2010, following the confrontation of the complainant, Momodou Lamin Cham, with some documents from the NIA office.
The 1st accused was brought to his office to investigate the matter that they received money from the complainant, he said, adding that the accused, while at his office, mentioned the names of two others, Modou Camara and Ebrima Jallow.
Asked by the prosecuting officer, Inspector Kuyateh, whether he knew the complaint against the accused persons, Jobe, in response, told the court that the complaint was that the accused persons issued a fake visa to the complainant.
He further adduced that copies of the complainant’s passport and the original passport was handed over to his office by the NIA.
"During the investigation, the complainant told me that he had paid D80,000 to the accused, Ali Ceesay, who promised to give him a visa," Officer Jobe told the court.
He disclosed that after the completion of the investigation, the file and the relevant documents were forwarded to the prosecution unit for court action.
He identified a copy of the complainant's passport and other relevant documents, which were later tendered and admitted in court without any objection from the defence counsel, Ousainou Darboe.
Magistrate Fredrick Forster adjourned the case till 24 March 2011.
