Paulo Djabi, others granted bail of over D127M

Paulo Djabi was granted bail in the sum of D120,000,000 (One Hundred and Twenty Million Dalasis) with 2 sureties to be justified by a landed property or properties, and his two international passports to be deposited with the registrar of the court.

Nadine Pereira was granted bail of D5,000,000 (Five Million Dalasis) with two sureties to be justified with landed properties or property and her international passport to be deposited with the registrar of the court. Mamadu Neto Djabi was granted bail of D2,000,000 (Two Million Dalasis), a surety to be justified with a landed property, and Secuna Jabi was granted bail of D500,000 (Five Hundred Thousand Dalasis) with one surety.

All the applicants are to report to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency every Tuesday at 10 am.

Asked  by the court whether the state opposed the bail application, counsel Jarjue said the state did not oppose the bail application but urged the court to exercise its discretion as it deemed fit to give stiffer bail conditions to the applicants due to the nature of their offences.

It would be recalled that the bail condition imposed by the former Magistrate of the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court to the 4th respondent, Secuna Jabi, remains in place which means the accused was allowed bail of D300,000 or with two Gambian sureties.

The presiding Judge, Justice Achibonga, struck out the bail of D300,000 and granted him the bail of D500,000.

The accused persons (the applicants) were charged on two counts of conspiracy, nine counts of money laundering, two counts of possession of prohibited drugs, dealing in prohibited drugs and dealing in controlled drugs.

Before the bail was granted yesterday, the applicant’s lawyer, S.M. Tambadou, filed originating summons and relied on several sections of the 1997 Constitution and the Criminal Procedure Code in the matter for bail application.

The applicants’ counsel filed the summons on 24 November 2023 for an order that the applicants be admitted to bail by the court on such reasonable terms that the court may deem fit to order, pending the hearing and determination of such indictment that may be filed against the applicants by the State (or respondent) at the High Court.

The originating summons were supported by a 21-paragraph affidavit which indicated that the applicant (Paulo Djabi) had strong roots and ties to The Gambia as his mother was a Gambian national of Gambisara, Basse, and he had numerous relatives from his mother’s family who were all Gambians and were resident in the country. “He was also married with a 3-year-old daughter and he is the breadwinner of his family,” indicated the affidavit.