Khadija Kebbeh is facing charges of stealing and money laundering among others.
When the case was called, the sureties were nowhere to be found. State Counsel Lamin Jarju informed the court that the process server of the court could not serve the sureties.
The Judge summoned the process server who informed the court that he was at the police station to serve the two sureties. “They were expected to report to the police for bail. However, I waited at the station for about 45 minutes but the sureties did not show up and I left.”
The application to forfeit the bail bond was supported by an affidavit in-support sworn by Detective Police Superintendent Lamin Cham. Cham stated that on or about 20 December 2021, the Office of the Inspector General of Police received a complaint from one Abubakarr Jawara, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Global Trading Company Ltd. (GACH) requesting an investigation into the alleged obtaining of money by false pretences and theft against one Khadija Kebbeh.
He said the Office of the Inspector General further assessed the complaint and found that there was merit in it. He added that he was part of the team of investigators constituted by the police.
The suspect Khadija Kebbeh, he went on, was arrested, detained and investigated on allegations of obtaining money by false pretence, theft and money laundering offences. "The investigations revealed that the accused (Khadija Kebbeh] stole an amount of 20,000 U.S. Dollars, 749,965 Euros and D2 Million being money for the payment of petroleum products belonging to GACH Company Ltd.,” he stated, adding Khadija Kebbeh was later cautioned and charged accordingly.
"She was subsequently granted a police bail in the sum of D59, 500,000.00 with two Gambian sureties namely Alfusainey Jawara of Kanifing South and Salif Banna Drammeh of Kotu West who deposed to affidavits of means and deposited their title deeds of landed properties to secure bail for the accused. Copies of recognisances and affidavits of means as well as the title deeds of landed properties were produced and shown to me marked in a bundle as Exhibits A, A1 B, B1, C, D, E, F,” he added.
He informed the court that Khadija Kebbeh deposited her passport to ensure her appearance as part of the bail conditions. A copy of her passport was produced and marked as Exhibit G.
He said since the execution of the police bail bond, Khadija was reporting to the Banjul Police Station at the Police Headquarters on police bail and regularly. He added that on or about 4th January 2023, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions filed an indictment of four counts of stealing and money laundering against her.
"Following the filing of the indictment in January 2023, Khadija Kebbeh left the jurisdiction. The filing of the indictment was widely published on social media and in local newspapers," Cham said.
Cham said he was of the conviction that Khadija got notice of the filing of the indictment through the publication on social media and local newspapers and as a result of such publicity, she fled the jurisdiction.
"Since January 2023, the accused/respondent has not been reporting on police bail. I personally reached out to the sureties to ensure the accused reported on police bail. l believe that the accused/pespondent is on the run and she will not voluntarily submit herself to this Court to answer to the charges against her unless she is arrested and brought to this Court. Efforts were made to serve Khadija with a copy of the indictment but it remains futile,” he posited.
"The accused/respondent has breached her bail bond for appearance and I verily believe that the sureties have failed in their obligation to ensure that the accused report on bail in fulfilment of her bail conditions as well as ensure her presence in the jurisdiction.”
The case is adjourned till July 6, 2023, at 09:30hrs for the sureties to either produce Khadija or show cause why their bonds should not be forfeited to the State.
