By Kemeseng Sanneh (Kexx)
The High Court has admitted documents from Gam Petroleum Storage Facility and Gambia National Petroleum Company (GNPC) in evidence in the civil suit filed by GACH Global Trading Company against Kaddijatou Kebbeh (former employee of GACH) and Saikou Drammeh (former managing director of GNPC).
Gach Global Trading Company wants to recover the sum of D58,961,150.00 being the amount allegedly fraudulently acquired and retained by Saihou and Kaddijatou (defendants). Also, GACH is claiming $221, 000.00 or its equivalent in dalasi being the amount allegedly fraudulently acquired and retained by the two defendants as payment for petrol product supplied by Gam Petroleum Storage Facility. Further, GACH wants to recover $1, 600.00 or it’s equivalent in dalasi a commission paid and received by Kaddijatou Kebbeh for ostensibly facilitating a petroleum product agreement dated 16 September 2021, rescission of the contract of agency of GACH and her. Also, GACH wants D1,000,000 for Legal and administrative fees and interest of 24% from 31 August 2021 to the date of Judgment and thereafter at 4% until the judgment sum is liquidated.
Lawyer M. Gomez and Senior Lawyer Ida Drammeh appeared for GACH. Lawyer F. Jallow and Lawyer Badou S.M Conteh represented Saihou Drammeh and Kaddijatou Kebbeh respectively..
Lamin Touray of Gam Petroleum Storage Facility continued to provide the documents the court requested him to produce. He provided the originals of the documents (photocopies) he provided in the last adjourned date. The originals were all admitted in evidence.
Ebrima Bah, the assistant Finance Manager of the Gambia National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) also appeared before the court to produce documents they were summoned to produce. He provided four (4) documents and they were all admitted in evidence as Exhibit P8 to P11.
Exhibit P8 is an invoice from the plaintiff to GNPC dated the 30th of August 2021, being reg. No GGT001. Exhibit P9 is an invoice from the plaintiff to GNPC dated the 6th of September 2021, with reference GGT002 being for $1,146,350.00 being PMS400 metric tonnes AGO 1400 metric tones. Exhibit P10 is an invoice from the plaintiff to GNPC with reference GGT003 being for $814,610.09 for PM 409 AGO 882. Exhibit P11 is a letter dated the 16th of November 2021 from the plaintiff to GNPC registering payment for October 2021.
Lawyer K. Jallow, for the first defendant, informed the court they were not able to hear from their client (Kaddijatou Kebbeh,), and they have no objection regarding exhibit 12 for the photocopy to be admitted in evidence. Lawyer B.S Conteh also didn’t object. Justice Jaiteh said in the absence of no objection, the handwritten receipts dated 16th September 2021 are admitted in evidence and marked as exhibit P12.
Lawyer Ida Drammeh applied to tender the WhatsApp message of Saikou Drammeh. There was no objection from both lawyers for Saihou and Kaddijatou. The court admitted the WhatsApp messages from Saikou Drammeh and marked them as exhibit P13.
Lawyer Ida Drammeh informed the court that
was the end of the pre-trial conference.
Lawyer K. Jallow, for the first defendant, informed the court of her intention to apply to amend their processes by including new evidence. The court granted the application and informed lawyer K. Jallow to do so expeditiously.
The case was adjourned to 4 December 2024 at 12:30 for the defendants to commence their pre-trial conference.
