PW3 during his testimony before Principal Magistrate Isatou Sallah Mbai of the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court, said the accused sent him a fake itinerary flight ticket which was not paid and it had no reference number.
It could be recalled that Mam Tut Wadda is facing charges of obtaining money by false pretense contrary to section 288 of the Criminal Code , Volume III Laws of The Gambia 2009.
The particulars of the case revealed that the accused defrauded 14 individuals in the sum of D725,000 on the pretext that she was going to secure them American visas.
“I was introduced to the accused person by a friend a called Saikou Ceesay who told me that Mam Tut works with the U.S. Embassy and had visa packages,” he testified.
“While speaking with the accused when we met, she claimed that she could help me get an American Visa and asked me to pay D230,000 and I made a first transfer through GT Bank Mobile App through her instructions to one Modou Nderrin, the amount of D30,000,” Hanafi told the court.
PW3 continued that after the first payment of D30,000, the accused on the following day asked him to send another D100,000 to the same account. On the 17th of November 2023, the accused told PW3 that she was facing some financial constraints in the visa processing and therefore, she would need some money again.
PW3 said he later sent her another D30,000 and when they met on same day, he (PW3) gave the accused another D20,000 cash.
“Later on she sent me the fake itinerary flight ticket from which I started having doubts about the visa. I called a friend called OB and sent him the picture of visa. OB told me that it’s a scam and that Mam Tut is not working with the U.S. Embassy. That was how I contacted the police and the accused was apprehended."
Prosecution tendered PW3’s transaction receipts to the court as evidence and were marked as exhibits.
The matter was adjourned until 8 April 2024.
