By: Nicholas Bass
Banjul International Airport cocaine case involving five Gambians accused of dealing in prohibited drugs, resumed on Tuesday before Justice Ebrima Jaiteh of Banjul High Court.
It could be recalled that Seedy Ceesay, Lamin Ceesay, Yahya K. Jatta, Modou Bojang and Muhammed Jallow on or about 29 June 2024 at Banjul International Airport in West Coast Region of The Gambia allegedly were dealing in prohibited drugs and were involved in the transportation of prohibited drug.
Following an application of defense counsel Sheriff K. Jobe’s no-case-to-answer submission for four Portuguese nationals namely: Vilma Cabral Roel, Ana Patricia Dos Santo Furtado, Simara Nadiya Martins and Miriam Maria Mendes to be discharged on grounds that his clients had no-case-to-answer.
Thereafter, the trial Judge after hearing both parties on 16 April 2025 stated that there was no ‘’prima facie’’ case against Roel, Furtado, Martins and Mendes and then ordered the five Gambian nationals to open their defense.
In his testimony, the first defense witness, Seedy Ceesay, a loader attached to the Gambia International Airlines [GIA], told the court that the statements the prosecution presented before the court as exhibit P3 and P4 were not his voluntary and cautionary statements. Seedy denied giving three bags of alleged cocaine to Lamin Ceesay.
The prosecuting state counsel Mariama Singateh objected to defense counsel A. Jarju, representing the sixth accused Seedy Ceesay when he asked Ceesay to affirm whether he is guilty as charged. ‘’Guilty is for the court to determine,’’ state counsel Singateh replied.
At that point, defense counsel Jarju rephrased his question, asking Seedy to ascertain whether he did not give any baggage to the seventh accused, Lamin Ceesay, but Ceesay replied in the affirmative.
Under cross examination with state counsel Singateh, the accused Seedy affirmed quarrelling with Omar Camara at the baggage unit at the time he [Camara] usually went to check on their works.
Ceesay revealed that he helped Ousman to send his baggage through flights, claiming that any individual can send his/her baggage after paying the sending fees at the counter.
When asked to clarify whether clients that want to send baggage through GIA needed an escort, Seedy denied saying there was no need for any escort after the payment of the baggage.
Under re-examination with his counsel Jarju, Seedy said that he helped Ousman to do the payment of his baggage at the counter of Banjul International Airport.
At that stage when the presiding Judge asked the first defense witness, Seedy whether he usually received tips from Ousman after helping him to send baggage via flights, Seedy admitted. The witness noted that Ousman usually phoned him to do the same transaction for him anytime he was at the Banjul International Airport.
Meanwhile, the second defense witness, Lamin Ceesay, a loader attached to the GIA affirmed knowing Seedy Ceesay, but denied the charges of conspiracy and dealing in prohibited drugs. Case will continue when the court resumes from break.