The case involves five Gambian men and four Portuguese women, who were intercepted in a VIP van at Banjul International Airport.
The cocaine was tendered through the first prosecution witness, Kemo Jaiteh, a drug law enforcement officer, who stated that when they recovered the drugs, they wrote a report. The report was shown to the witness by State Counsel M. Sarr to confirm whether it was the report written in relation to the case, and the witness confirmed to the court it was.
The accused in this case were Vilma Cabral Roel, Ana Patricia Dos Santos Furtado, Simara Nadiya Martins, Mirarg Maria Mendes, Seedy Ceesay, Lamin Ceesay, Yaya K. Jatta, Modou Bojang, and Muhammed Jallow. They were charged with aggravated drug trafficking after being found in possession of 33kg, 600g of cocaine on June 29, 2024, at the International Airport, for the purpose of trafficking.
They were also charged with dealing in prohibited drugs and conspiracy, and on June 29, 2024, they were involved in the transportation of prohibited drugs and conspired among themselves to traffic the substances.
During cross-examination by defence counsel S.K Jobe, the witness Kemo Jaiteh confirmed the drugs in the luggage were found in a VIP van parked in a VIP parking lot. He added that when the bags were opened, the substances were all sealed.
The witness also acknowledged that when the first to the fourth accused persons were questioned about the bags, he said they initially denied any knowledge of them.
Additionally, Mr Jaiteh said when the 1st to the 4th accused were asked about the key to unlock the bags, he said they stated they did not have it.
However, the witness clarified that the bags were not locked, despite initially asking for a key, as they were unsure whether the bags were locked at the time.
The witness confirmed that a preliminary examination was conducted on the contents of the bags, with each block tested separately. In total, 30 blocks were tested one by one. After testing, the blocks were placed back into the bags, which were then taken to the Criminal Investigation Department (CDI), the witness testified.
Counsel S.K Jobe put it to the witness that it was established that the preliminary examination was not final and that while it could indicate the presence of drugs, further scientific testing could potentially yield a negative result.
When asked who took possession of the bags after the initial examination, the witness stated they were handed over to Demba Badjie and the team.
Defence counsel said that at that point, the witness ceased to have possession or control over the bags and had no further knowledge of what happened to them afterward.
The cross-examination also questioned whether the bags could have been tampered with after they were handed over. The witness insisted they would recognize it if the bags had been altered because the substances were sealed in plastic. However, when pressed further, the witness admitted that the seals would inevitably be broken during further testing.
Defence counsel Lamin J. Darboe, representing the 7th, 8th, and 9th accused, asked the witness if he had found any of the bags in the possession of the 7th, 8th, or 9th accused. The witness responded that he had not found the bags in the hands of any of them. However, the witness stated that the bags were found in the trunk of a vehicle driven by the 8th accused, Modou Bojang.
The case was adjourned until 25 March 2025.
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