She testified that the payment was made to Kuringo by Jawara, converted into US dollars and euros, and delivered to her home by two Kuringo staff. Kebbeh said she packed the money into a Louis Vuitton duffle bag and a toiletry bag, before instructing her younger brother Harouna Kebbeh and driver Mbye Ceesay to deliver it to Drammeh at his home in Brufut.
“In the presence of Abdoulie Saine, a friend of Drammeh, and Ibrahim Jobe, his employee, the money was handed over to the second defendant,” she told the court.
According to Kebbeh, Jawara later met Drammeh to physically confirm the payment. She said about ten days afterwards, Drammeh began facing issues at Gam Petroleum.
Kebbeh recounted that on 10 November 2021 she received a text message informing her that Drammeh and another Gam Petroleum employee had been arrested. Shortly afterwards, she was contacted by one of Jawara’s employees, who claimed Jawara was demanding the return of his D58 million.
“I was shocked and confused. I told him how could I return something that was not in my possession,” she testified.
She said when she contacted Drammeh, he and his lawyer pleaded with her not to mention his name, assuring her that the vessel carrying fuel was already at the depot in Mandinary and that supplies would soon be restored.
Kebbeh told the court that police later searched her home “in a barbaric manner” before taking her to Kairaba Police Station, where she was informed Jawara had lodged a complaint against her and Kuringo Company, alleging fraud.
She said she was then taken to Police Headquarters in Banjul to write a statement, but claimed Drammeh’s lawyer, Badou Conteh, tore up her initial statement in front of an officer because he did not like it. Kebbeh said she was forced to rewrite the statement the following morning, omitting Drammeh’s name. She was released on 14 November 2021.
Fuel Supply and Outstanding Balance
Three days later, Kebbeh said Jawara collected fuel worth D32,703,600 from Jah Oil Company, leaving an outstanding balance of D26,261,550.
She testified that investigators later confronted her, Jawara and Drammeh about the release of 779.737 metric tons of AGO fuel to Jawara by Jah Oil. Kebbeh said she then discovered there was no Dubai supplier, and that the fuel had been negotiated by Drammeh, with payments made in cash by his lawyer and associates.
Kebbeh told the court that Drammeh later offered property documents in Dakar as repayment, which Jawara declined. She said Drammeh also gave her uncle D1 million as partial payment, but police rejected it as insufficient.
“After several years, it is clear the second defendant has no intention of repayment. Instead, he and his lawyers want to use me as a scapegoat,” she said.
She insisted she had handed over payments to Drammeh on two occasions: USD 221,000 personally, and later €749,965 and USD 240,000 through her brother and driver.
Under cross-examination, Kebbeh maintained that she personally handed USD 221,000 to Drammeh.
