The British High Commission in Banjul recently uncovered attempts by two visa applicants, Awa and Njagga Ceesay, to outwit entry clearance officers with the presentation of forged bank statements.

Following the discovery, Jim Njie and Kekutah Yabo, the two suspected of having secured the bank statements for the complainants, Awa Ceesay and Njagga Ceesay, were yesterday arraigned before Principal Magistrate Moses Richards of the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court for the offence of conspiracy to commit felony and forgery.

According to the facts narrated by the police prosecutor, Corporal Touray, it happened in June 2007 after the complainants, Awa Ceesay and Njagga Ceesay, received acceptance letters to study in the UK. The subsequent visa process required them to secure bank statements in order to satisfy certain visa requirements, he adduced, noting that the quest led them to the 1st accused, Jim Njie, who was employed as a Recovery Officer at Trust Bank. Corporal Touray further stated that the 1st accused prepared the bank statements in return for D7,000. Officer Touray also stated that the complainants later realised that the statements were not stamped, adding that the 2nd accused then provided the stamp for them.

According to Corporal Touray, it was then that the complainants took the statements for visa application purposes to the British High Commission, where it was detected by the visa section that the statements were forged. He said the High Commission then referred the complainants back to the bank, where it was confirmed that the statements were forged.

The police prosecutor related that the matter was reported to the Bakau police who arrested the complainants. In the course of the interrogations, the prosecutor went on, the names of the accused persons emerged as the suspects who prepared the bank statements and provided the stamp, adding that they were thus arrested and charged with the said offence.

On their own plea of guilt to the offence, they were sentenced on both counts to fines of D8,000 each or in default to serve two years imprisonment at Janjanbureh prison.