Justice Ebrima Jaiteh, High Court Judge
By Landing Ceesay
Justice Ebrima Jaiteh of The Gambia’s High Court has remanded four Portuguese nationals and five Gambians to the Mile 2 Central Prison over allegations of drug trafficking.
The accused individuals are Vilma Cabral Roel (1st accused), Ana Patricia Dos Santos Furtodo (2nd accused), Simara Nadiya Martins (3rd accused), Miram Maria Mendes (4th accused), Seedy Ceesay (5th accused), Lamin Ceesay (6th accused), Yaya K. Jatta (7th accused), Modou Bojang (8th accused), and Muhammed Jallow (9th accused).
The Attorney General has brought three criminal charges against the accused:
Count One: Aggravated Drug Trafficking contrary to section 43 (a) of the Drug Control (Amendment) Act 2011.
The State alleged that Vilmar Cabral Roel, Ana Patricia Dos Santos Furtodo, Simara Nadiya Martins, Miram Maria Mendes, on or about the 29th day of June, 2024 at The Banjul International Airport in the West Coast Region of the Gambia and within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, were in possession of 33kg, 600g gross weight of cocaine for the purposes of trafficking and thereby committed an offence.
Count Two: Dealing with prohibited drugs contrary to section 33 (1)( c) of the Drug Control Act Cap 13:05 Vol. IlII Revised Laws of the Gambia 2009.
The State alleged that Vilmar Cabral Roel, Ana Patricia Dos Santos Furtodo, Simara Nadiya Martins, Miram Maria Mendes, Seedy Ceesay, Lamin Ceesay, Yaya k Jatta, Modou Bojang on or about the 29th day of June 2024 the Banjul International Airport in the West Coast Region of the Gambia and within the jurisdiction of this honorable Court, were dealing in Prohibited drug to with: you were involved in the transportation of a prohibited drug and thereby committed an offense.
Count Three: Conspiracy to Dealing with prohibited drugs contrary to section 53 (1)( a) of the Drug Control Act Cap 13:05 Vol. II| Revised Laws of the Gambia.
The State alleged that Vilmar Cabral Roel, Ana Patricia Dos Santos Furtodo, Simara Nadiya Martins, Miram Maria Mendes, Seedy Ceesay, Lamin Ceesay, Yaya k Jatta, Modou Bojang, and Muhammed Jallow on or about the 29th day of June 2024 the Banjul International Airport in the West Coast Region of the Gambia and within the jurisdiction of this honorable Court, conspired amongst yourself to deal with prohibited drug and thereby committed an offense.
The accused have been served with the bill of indictment but could not enter a plea because the lawyer for the four Portuguese nationals, Sheriff Kumba Jobe, was absent, and the five Gambians have yet to secure legal representation.
Justice Jaiteh, noting the lack of legal representation, ordered the remand of the accused to Mile 2 Central Prison and adjourned the case for plea-taking.