By Kemeseng Sanneh (Kexx)
A former narcotics officer was sentenced Friday to 30 years in prison for his role in a violent daylight robbery in which he impersonated a police officer, brandished a loaded firearm, and conspired with others to steal 600,000 dalasis from a currency exchange operator, a Gambian High Court ruled.
The judgement delivered by Justice S.K. Jobarteh, convicted Yerro Saidy, who once served with the country’s narcotics enforcement agency, on three counts: conspiracy to commit a felony, robbery with violence, and impersonation of a public officer. The judge described the evidence against Saidy as “cogent, credible, and compelling,” rejecting his claims of innocence and framing him as a central figure in a criminal enterprise.
The crime, according to court testimony, unfolded on the evening of July 27, 2023, in the busy neighborhood of Kerr Sering, where Ebrima Sillah, a Bureau de Change operator, was closing up his shop. As he prepared to leave, he was attacked by a man who wrestled away his bag, which contained D600,000 — nearly $9,000 — and attempted to flee. Sillah pursued him on foot, dodging a speeding car before the assailant sprayed him with tear gas and pointed a gun at his chest. The victim, in a split-second maneuver, struck the weapon from the attacker’s hand.
It was in the chaotic aftermath that Yerro Saidy appeared. He arrived in the same vehicle that had moments earlier nearly struck the victim. Wearing civilian clothing and without formal identification, Saidy declared himself a police officer from the Senegambia Police Station and ordered the bystanders to release the subdued suspect into his custody. He promised to escort him to the nearest station. The crowd complied. The suspect was never seen again.
What followed was a dramatic unraveling of Saidy’s story and a months-long investigation that brought to light what the judge would later describe as a “sophisticated and coordinated criminal scheme.”
Sillah, suspicious of Saidy’s behavior, took with him a Nokia mobile phone dropped by the suspect and the recovered firearm — a black metal pistol loaded with six live rounds — to the Senegambia Police Station. Officers there told him no such suspect had been brought in. He waited until 11 p.m., but Saidy never came.
Police investigators, led by Chief Inspector Yerro Saidy — no relation to the accused — soon unearthed damning evidence. A review of call logs from the suspect’s phone revealed contact on the day of the robbery with several individuals, including the accused. A subsequent search of Saidy’s residence uncovered a black Itel phone whose call history matched records from the suspect’s device. Witnesses confirmed that Saidy was in frequent communication with two men identified as Pape Sanyang and Kaw Jallow, both of whom remain at large.
Ballistics experts verified that the pistol used in the robbery was a functional, lethal weapon. Other prosecution witnesses placed Saidy at the heart of a small but organized group with apparent knowledge of Sillah’s cash movements. One witness, Edrissa Manneh, testified that he had seen Saidy dining with one of the alleged accomplices, further undermining his claims of detachment from the crime.
Saidy, who pleaded not guilty on all counts, maintained that he was a narcotics agent working undercover to dismantle drug trafficking networks. He testified that a long-standing feud with Chief Inspector Saidy influenced the investigation and that he had himself been a victim of kidnapping earlier that year by men angered over a prior cocaine seizure. In a rambling account, he insisted that his intervention at the robbery scene was innocent — a citizen’s attempt to prevent mob justice by offering to deliver the suspect to police.
Justice Jobarteh was unconvinced. “The accused’s conduct was wholly inconsistent with that of a concerned citizen,” he said, noting Saidy’s failure to report the suspect’s alleged escape or submit the phone later found in his possession. The judge emphasized the contradictions in Saidy’s statements, particularly his explanation for why the suspect’s phone was found in his own drawer days later.
In his judgment, Justice Jobarteh ruled that although there was insufficient evidence to conclusively tie Sanyang and Jallow to the actual robbery, the weight of circumstantial evidence showed that Saidy had knowingly conspired with at least one other individual. The court invoked Section 24 of the Criminal Code, which allows for the prosecution of criminal enterprises based on joint actions and shared intent.
The charge of robbery with violence, which carries the harshest penalty, was upheld based on the use of a lethal weapon, the actual violence deployed during the theft, and Saidy’s instrumental role in facilitating the suspect’s escape. The impersonation charge, the judge said, was aggravated by the accused’s deliberate use of false credentials to mislead the public — a violation of Section 93(b) of the Criminal Code.
In a plea for leniency, Saidy’s lawyer cited his client’s medical conditions — hypertension and diabetes — his status as a first-time offender, and his role as the sole provider for a family of seven. But the judge emphasized the “alarming rise” of violent crimes and the need to send a strong deterrent message.
Applying Section 29(2) of the Criminal Code, which allows courts to impose lesser penalties than the maximum, Justice Jobarteh sentenced Saidy to four years for conspiracy, 23 years for robbery with violence, and three years for impersonation — to be served consecutively. The total 30-year sentence will be calculated from the date of his initial remand in December 2023.
Before adjourning, the judge ordered that Saidy’s seized personal belongings be returned to him and instructed the prison authorities at Mile 2 to provide medical care as needed. Saidy, dressed in a dark tunic and expressionless as the verdict was read, was reminded of his right to appeal.
