The accused persons are Muhammadou Lamin Jaiteh, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Balla Kandeh, Programme Manager of the National Malaria Control Programme, and Omar Malleh Ceesay, Executive Director of Health Promotion Development Organization HePDO).
They are facing 18 criminal charges of official corruption, disobedience of statutory duty, conspiracy, economic crimes, forgery and theft.
Cherno Omar Barry, the 11th prosecution witness, resident of Brusubi Phase 1 and worked as the deputy permanent secretary of Senegal-Gambia sectarian and permanent secretary of the Ministry of Health, confirmed recognising the accused persons.
He explained the role of the Ministry of Health as the custodian of the health of the country. He said Global Fund was a partner and specialises in tobacco and drugs issues, adding that the Global Fund has been a partner in another area.
He said that in 2018, they supported the malaria programme for the prevention of malaria and in the same year an agreement was signed.
When Director of Public Prosecution AM Yusuf asked the witness about whose signature was in the agreement, he responded it was his signature because at the time he was the Permanent Secretary.
DPP A.M. Yusuf sought for the document to be handed over to the witness for confirmation. The witness confirmed that it was the agreement he signed in August 2018.
The prosecution applied to tender the agreement into evidence without objection from defence lawyer L.S. Camara, the presiding Judge, admitted and marked the agreement into evidence.
During cross-examination by Lawyer L.S. Camara, the witness was asked if he had made a statement to the police in this case. Dr Barry the witness confirmed making a statement, and the said statement was shown to him to further confirm.
The defence lawyer then applied for the statement to be admitted into evidence, with no objections from the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Without further cross examinations, the witness was discharged and the case was adjourned until 5 March 2025 at 10:00 a.m. for the hearing of PW12.
