Abdoulie Camara, youth in his 30s was last Thursday arrainged before the Brikama Magistrates’ Court, presided over by Magistrate EF M’bai, after he was nabbed with suspected hard drugs ‘cocaine’ at the Banjul International Airport with the intent of drug trafficking.

According to Abdourahman Jallow, an Aviation Security Officer, in his testimony told the court that the incident occurred on 9th June 2007, while he was on duties at the airport, adding that on the said day he was posted to a place call cabin bagged.  “I was conducting a check-up in a flight going to Lagos when the accused came in. I called his attention to conduct a physical screening on him,” he remarked.

According to Mr Jallow, when he approached the accused, he (the accused) refused to be screened. “I then asked him to follow me to the office if he does not want to be screened in the public. During the screening in the office, I discovered a nylon bag tied around his lap, I then removed it. When I opened it I found fifty - two parcels containing the suspected drugs,” he said. He pointed out that he later took the accused to the Airport Police Station, where he was cautioned and charged in the presence of an independent witness in the name of Mustpha Sanneh.

Saikou Camara, a narcotic officer at the airport, also in his testimony told the court that when the suspected drugs were discovered from the accused, a statement was also obtained from him before he was escorted to the NDEA headquarters where weighing and measurement was done. “This was conducted in the presence of the accused and it weighed 700 grams. “I signed the certificate while the accused thumb printed it,” he added.

According to Mr Saikou Camara, when he returned to the NDEA office, samples were taken from the said drugs and later the samples were taken for lab analysis.  Subsequently an analytical report was issued to that effect. The National Drug Enforcement Agency Prosecutor NCA Ceesay tendered the certificate to court as exhibit. The certificate was accepted and marked as an exhibit.

The accused Mr Abdoulie Camara denied all the allegations and maintained that he was forced to write the statement, adding that the certificate prepared from the weighing office was not done in his present.

Magistrate M’bai then adjourned the case to Thursday, September 27th, for continuation.

NCA I Ceesay represented the NDEA.