By Kemeseng Sanneh (Kexx)
The theft and money laundering case involving Khadijatou Kebbeh could not proceed in court.
The police informed the court that their machine is faulty.
The two sureties who purportedly signed the bail bond to secure Khadijatou’s release denied that they signed the bail bond, which necessitated examination by a forensic police officer. The prosecution wants the sureties to produce Khadijatou Kebbeh or their respective bail bond be forfeited to the State.
According to the prosecution, Khadija Kebbeh allegedly stole $20,000, 749,965 Euros and D2,000,000, which were meant for the payment of petroleum products owned by GACH Company Ltd.
Khadija Kebbeh was granted police bail in the amount of Fifty-Nine Million Dalasi, Five Hundred Thousand Dalasi (D59,500,000) and was ordered to produce two Gambian sureties. The two sureties, according to the prosecution were Alfusainey Jawara from Kanifing South and Salif Banna Drammeh from Kotu West. Both sureties provided affidavits of means and deposited their title deeds as collateral to secure Khadijatou’s bail and signed. Now the sureties denied that they had signed the bail bond.
Khadijatou Kebbeh is standing trial on four counts, including stealing and money laundering. The prosecution believed that she had fled the country and is residing in the United States of America. The state (prosecution) seeks her presence to face the criminal charges against her or the two persons who signed the bail bond and secured her release to produce her or their respective bail bond be forfeited to the state.
When the case was called before Justice Francis Achibonga, Senior State Counsel Lamin Jarju appeared for the State while Lawyer Emmanuel E. Chime represented the alleged sureties.
The police officer informed the court that the signature analysis had not yet been conducted due to the malfunctioning of the analysing tool. He assured the court that the machine would be fixed within a week.
On count one, Kaddijatou is charged with stealing, contrary to section 260(d) of the Criminal Code. It is alleged that in October 2021, Khadija stole two million dalasis (D2,000,000) belonging to GACH Global Trading Company in Kanifing Municipality and other locations in the Gambia.
On count two, Khadijatou is charged with another instance of stealing, also contrary to section 260(d) of the Criminal Code. The accusation states that she stole $20,000 (twenty thousand US dollars) from GACH Global Trading Company in Kanifing Municipality and various places in the Gambia.
Khadija is also charged with stealing €749,965.00 (seven hundred forty-nine thousand, nine hundred sixty-five Euros) from GACH Global Trading Company in Kanifing Municipality and other locations in the Gambia. This charge falls under section 260(d) of the Criminal Code.
On Count four and final charge, Khadija is charged with money laundering under section 22(a) of the Anti-Money Laundering and Financing Act 2012. The prosecution alleges that between 2021 and 2022, Khadija converted and/or transferred illicit money into bank accounts, knowing that the funds were proceeds of unlawful activities, in Kanifing Municipality and diverse places in the Gambia.
The court adjourned the case to 24 January 2024 at 10 am.
