By Kemeseng Sanneh (Kexx)
The High Court in Banjul on Wednesday continued hearing the civil lawsuit filed by Gach Global Trading against two individuals — Khaddija Kebbeh, a former employee of the company, and Saikou Drammeh, the former Managing Director of Gam Petroleum.
The case, which is being heard by Justice Jaiteh, was marked by a long and sometimes tense cross-examination of Gach CEO Abubakary Jawara, who is seeking to recover over D58.9 million and other payments he claims were wrongfully taken.
According to Gach Global, the amount includes D58,961,150 allegedly taken for petroleum products, $221,000 related to disputed transactions involving Gam Petroleum, and $1,600 said to have been paid to Kebbeh as a commission for helping secure a petroleum agreement in September 2021. The company is also asking the court to award D1 million in legal and administrative costs, plus interest.
During the hearing, Jawara was cross-examined by lawyer B.S. Conteh, who represents one of the defendants. Conteh started by asking Jawara about a video he previously posted on social media showing money, in which he said it “might be” his. The video was played in court, and Jawara confirmed he had said that, but explained that he contacted a colleague, Abdoulie Dibba, and confirmed the money was his.
The back-and-forth over Jawara’s exact words led to several objections from the other lawyers in the courtroom. They argued that the witness should be allowed to fully explain his answers rather than simply agree or disagree with a statement. Justice Jaiteh reminded all parties that courtroom language must remain respectful and that every word said was being recorded.
The cross-examination then turned to Gach’s business dealings. Jawara confirmed that he is the CEO of Gach Global and has been in business since 1994. He said the company imports goods and he owns a tomato factory. Payments, he added, are made through the bank.
Conteh asked Jawara about an agreement he signed with Gam Petroleum, known in court as Exhibit P1. Jawara confirmed his signature on the agreement and explained that it outlined payments through GTBank. However, he stressed that the money involved in this agreement was different from the funds now being disputed in court.
At one point, the hearing became particularly sensitive when Conteh asked Jawara whether he had a romantic relationship with the first defendant, Khaddija Kebbeh. This question immediately drew strong objections from Kebbeh’s lawyer, K. Jallow, who argued that such a question was not part of the case and should not be raised in court.
Justice Jaiteh agreed, ruling that the court would not accept questions about the witness’s personal relationships since they were not part of the official claims.
Despite the ruling, Counsel Conteh stated: “I’m putting it to you that you’re in love with the first defendant and that’s why you gave her 58 million dalasis in cash to impress her.” Justice Jaiteh allowed the witness to answer. Jawara replied clearly: “No, that’s not true.”
Later in the hearing, Conteh asked about a previous criminal case involving Saikou Drammeh and another individual, Lamin Gassama. Jawara confirmed he was aware that the case had gone to court in 2023 and that he had testified. Conteh pointed out that the case was dismissed without the accused having to present a defense. Jawara said that outcome was up to the court.
As the session neared its end, Conteh brought up a previous civil matter where Gach Global joined Saikou Drammeh to a lawsuit through a legal process called third-party proceedings. Jawara said that his lawyer handled that matter.
With time running out, the hearing was adjourned. The case will continue on October 12, 29, and 30, 2025.
As the trial progresses, the court is expected to hear more evidence and testimonies from both sides as it tries to determine whether the funds in question were wrongfully taken and whether the defendants should be held responsible.
