By: Dawda M. Jallow
The D36 million fraud case involving Chief Executive Officer of Ejabah Travel and Tours Tuesday resumed before Banjul Magistrates’ Court with the testimony of the seventh prosecution witness.
It would be recalled that Chief Executive Officer of Ejabah Travel and Tours, Kanimang Bajo faced D36 million fraud charges over failed Hajj slots promised to intending pilgrims to the Moslems Holy City of Mecca.
Testifying before Principal Magistrate Krubally, Yankuba Sanneh, the seventh prosecution witness told the court that he approached Ejabah Travel and Tours after he was unable to secure a Hajj slot through another travel agency because it had reached full capacity.
He said he intended to take his mother, Ndey Ceesay, to Hajj and subsequently visited Ejabah’s office in Banjul, where he met Jim Sanyang.
According to the witness, Sanyang assured him that the company still had available Hajj slots and quoted a fee of D600,000.
Sanneh testified that he subsequently made four payments of D300,000, D150,000, D135,000 and D15,000.
He said the first three payments were made at Ajib Bank, while the final D15,000 was paid at Ejabah’s office.
The witness said Sanyang later sent him a receipt through WhatsApp showing the full payment of D600,000
Sanneh further testified that when he later sought information about his mother’s travel arrangements, Sanyang told him that some people had gone to the hospital for medical check-ups.
He said his mother ultimately did not travel for Hajj.
According to Sanneh, after he repeatedly asked about the arrangements, Sanyang sent him a screenshot of a passport bearing his mother’s name.
He said he later discovered that the document was a Guinea-Bissau passport rather than a Gambian passport.
During cross-examination, defence counsel M.L. Ceesay questioned Sanneh about Hajj arrangements involving other pilgrims, including claims that 53 visas had been issued and subsequently cancelled.
The witness said he was unaware of those arrangements, maintaining that his knowledge was limited to his mother’s travel arrangements.
Asked whether he knew that Kanimang had paid US$107,000 to WAVE for the travel arrangements of the first batch of pilgrims, Sanneh said he was not aware.
The defence put it to the witness that the accused had done what was required of him but that his arrest had frustrated the arrangements.
Sanneh replied that whatever happened between Kanimang and other parties was separate from his case, adding that, in his case, “he didn’t do the needful.”
The case was adjourned to 16 November 2026 at 10:00 a.m. for the testimony of PW8 and other witnesses.