The case is before Justice E. Ebrima of the Banjul High Court and the witness, Muhammed Sissoko, whose name was mentioned by previous witnesses and listed among the names of contractors in the health official corruption case, said he was engaged in selling motor parts and land business.
Asked by the Director of Public Prosecution 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 the Health Promotion and Development Organisation, 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 at the Global Fund 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 from the bank because he was busy.
After two days, the witness told the court, the Global Fund staff called and requested to see him in the evening, adding that he left for his office the next day at around 10 a.m. and Mr Jarjou gave him a cheque for over D500,000 from Access Bank.
“I asked him whether this is not going to be a problem because I am a one-man soldier and a family man,” the witness narrated.“He laughed and said there is no problem.”
The witness confirmed withdrawing over D500,000 and took the money to Jarjou and they confirmed for accountability purpose. Headded that Jarjou pulled out D20,000 and gave him and Jarjou took out a piece of blank paper, wrote and signed that he had received the money from him.
He said further that Jarjou called again and told him to meet with him in Kanifing. There, he said, he was again given a cheque for over D500,000 from Access Bank in a brown envelope.
He explained that after withdrawing the cash, he met Jarjou in his car and they confirmed the amount and Jarjou gave him D20,000 again. “I asked if that was not going to be a problem, he laughed and told me: ‘no problem’,” the witness said.
The witness further explained that Jarjou gave him a cheque again for over D600,000 but this time, he said he told Jarjou if he Jarjou had that kind of contract why won’t he go to the bank himself. But, he said, Jarjou responded that he could not queue in the bank and was always busy.
The witness also said he was given another D20,000 by Jarjou after he withdrew that money.
The case was then adjourned until 25 March 2024.
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