Health officials case witness denies owning documents

The case is before Justice E. Jaiteh of the Banjul High Court and the witness, Muhammed Sissoko, continued his testimony that during the course of the Police Fraud Squad interrogation, he was called to the unit and asked about the documents and whether he owned, signed or wrote reports.

The witness said he did not own, sign or write any reports regarding HePDO and he had no idea about the whole thing because he could not even write a report.

About the payment vouchers, the witness told the court that those payments were not made to him, adding that he was surprised when those papers were shown to him.

The witness confirmed with the investigators that the cheques he was cashing were from Lamin Jarjou, deputy programme manager at the National Malaria Programme.

The witness explained that between 2019 and 2020, he received cheques for over D500,000 “five times” from Lamin Jarjou and he, Lamin, used to give him D20,000 whenever he cashed a cheque but the last amount he cashed, he was given D15,000.

In 2023, he said, he was invited at the Fraud Squad where in they started the investigation and he was asked if he was the one who cashed the cheques and he said he admitted that he was the one, adding that he was told by the police to pay those amounts, which he said he did.

It would be recalled that the witness was asked whether he recognised the accused persons - Muhammadou Lamin Jaiteh, permanent secretary at the Ministry of Health, Balla Kandeh, Programme Manager of the Malaria Control Programme, and Omar Malleh Ceesay, Executive Director of HePDO - and he admitted recognising all of them, from the Office of the Gambia Police Force Fraud Squad.

The witness narrated how he met Lamin Jarjou, deputy programme manager of the National Malaria Control Programme, in 2013.

In 2019, he said, Mr Jarjou contacted and told him he wanted to do business with him but also requested a favour to withdraw money on his behalf from the bank because he was busy.The favours led to the cashing of cheques for over D1.5M.

The case was adjourned till 15 April 2024.