Sulayman Njie and Modou Momud Khan, both Senegalese nationals were recently arraigned before Magistrate Drammeh of the Kanifing Magistrates' Court, charged with two criminal counts of receipt or possession of property stolen abroad and obtaining registration by false pretence.
According to the charge sheet, on count one between March and June 2010, at Old Jeshwang in the Kanifing Municipality the accused persons had in their possession a motor vehicle with a registration number 9117 MS93, which at the time contained electronic items, valued at fifteen thousand Euros having knowledge that both the vehicle and the items were stolen from France, while en route to Ivory Coast.
Count two stated that the 1st accused, Sulayman Njie on 29th April 2010, at Amdalaye border post in The Gambia willfully procured an entry traveling certificate for motor vehicle with a registration number 9117 MS93, being a foreign registration vehicle purportedly for a visit into The Gambia, and put the said vehicle at Old Jeshwang on sale.
Testifying for the prosecution, PW1, Fofana Saidou told the court that he is a resident of France, and that he knows the 1st accused, Sulayman Njie.
According to him, he gave the 1st accused a vehicle full of items, including six big fridges, two small fridge and many electronic items for him to take to Morocco where they would later meet.
He adduced that the vehicle's registration number is 9117 MS93, and their agreement was that the 1st accused should take the vehicle from Morocco to Ivory Coast with a list of items in the vehicle and documents from the government of Morocco.
PW1 further told the court that while in Morocco he used to see the 2nd accused, Modou Momud Khan at the seaport in Morocco, and he told the 1st accused that he did not want to see the 2nd accused person in the seaport, especially in his vehicle.
According to him, he gave the 1st accused person all the authorities that the vehicle should go on the journey, and also gave him a young boy called Camara Yankuba to accompany him on his journey.
Mr. Saidou told the court that, more than three weeks he did not receive any message from the 1st accused, and that people were calling him asking about their items.
He added that, he started investigating the whereabouts of the vehicle. He said he then went to Dakar and later proceeded to Mauritania where he went to the police and asked them about his vehicle, who told him that the vehicle had gone to Dakar.
He said he went back to Dakar and proceeded to Saint-Louis police where he saw them the documents of the vehicle and the picture of the 1st accused person, who then advised him to come to The Gambia.
He further adduced that, on his arrival to the border he was told by the Senegalese police that the vehicle has entered into The Gambia.
PW1 revealed that upon arrival in The Gambia he saw the vehicle at one Elton petrol stations and one of his friends called one soldier who came with a police officer to the scene.
He added that at the scene he was asked to prove whether he is the owner of the vehicle and then surrendered all the documents to them.
The case was adjourned to 28th July 2010.
