Lamin Cham, a Police Detective on Tuesday testified in the ongoing trial involving Omar Jarjusey and Karamo Saidy, both personnel of The Gambia Police Force who are facing charges of conspiracy, kidnapping and robbery with violent conduct before the Bundung  Magistrates’ Court presided over by Senior Magistrate, Amina Saho Ceesay.

In his testimony, Detective Cham told the court that he is a Detective Sergeant in The Gambia Police Force and is attached to the Major Crime Unit of the Gambia Police Force at its headquarters in Banjul and could recognise the two officers in the dock.

He said that he could recall March of this year when he was informed by ASP Malang Ceesay and Alie Njie that a complaint had been lodged by one Mr. John regarding money obtained from him by the two accused officers. He told the court that after the complaint was received, an investigation was launched into the matter and that he and ASP Alieu Njie left for Kairaba Police Station, where upon arrival, they called on the police officers as colleagues and briefed them about the matter. The officers, he went on, denied the allegations insisting that Mr. John had tried to offer them 1500 Euros to cover up the issue of suspected drugs found with him and to reach a compromise. 

According to him, a search was then conducted in their houses by him and other police officers through which they recovered 1000 Euros with some Gambian dalasis and 1500 euros with three sealed packets of suspected drugs in the house of the two accused.

“Upon our return, we handed over the money and the suspected drugs to our boss and further went to the drug squad to weigh and measure the drugs. It was then established that they were sodium chloride (common salt)”, he said.

The case was then adjourned to June 18, 2007 for continuation. Inspector Bojang and 772 Samateh stood in for the IGP and Lawyer Lamin Camara represented the defendant.