Trial of Ocean Bay Hotel GM opens

The trial of Vcall Jurgen Odenwald, the General Manager of Ocean Bay Hotel, on drugs charges commenced yesterday at the Banjul Magistrates' Court before acting-Principal Magistrate Taiwo Alagba.

Testifying for the prosecution, Njaga O. Jatta, a narcotics officer attached to Kairaba Police Station, told the court that he recognised the accused person.

Jatta told the court that on 19 April 201, he received information that the user of a black vehicle with registration number BJL3647 E, usually transports drugs from one place to another.

"On 23rd April 2011, I got the information that the said vehicle was parked at the Ocean Bay Hotel at Cape Point. I then led a team of officers to the Ocean Bay Hotel to track the said vehicle," he added.

"Upon our arrival at the hotel, I instructed the officers not to allow anybody to move or open the vehicle, while I went and enquired about the owner of the vehicle. I was told that the vehicle belongs to the Ocean Bay Hotel, to which the General Manager agreed," he continued.

Jatta further told the court that a search was conducted on the said vehicle in the presence of the General Manager, his deputy and the chief security officer of the hotel.

"We happened to discover two bundles of suspected cannabis under the driver's seat. I asked for the owner of the suspected cannabis, but the accused said he has no idea about it," Jatta went on, adding that they escorted the accused to his residence at Fajara, but nothing was found there.

Still testifying, he told the court that the vehicle was later moved to Bundung Police Station, where a statement was obtained from the accused person.

The prosecution at that juncture applied to tender both the statement and the suspected cannabis, which were tendered and admitted as exhibits without any objection from the defence counsel."

The prosecution further applied to tender the vehicle, which was also tendered and admitted as an exhibit.

The case at that juncture was adjourned till 17th June 2011 for cross-examination.