By Landing Ceesay
The State Prosecution has submitted weighing certificates and analytical reports for drugs allegedly seized from Paulo Djabi (the first accused) by the Drug Law Enforcement Agency of The Gambia (DLEAG).
Paulo Djabi (1st accused), Nadine Ismael De Gouveira Pereira (2nd accused), and Mamadu Neto Djabi (3rd accused) face a High Court trial in The Gambia, charged with 20 counts of drug-related offenses and money laundering.
During his testimony as the First Prosecution Witness (PW1), Lamin Y.A. Sanneh, a DLEAG officer, informed the court that investigators seized 12 vehicles, 3 motorcycles, a Jet Ski, drugs, needles, and strings, all reportedly belonging to Paulo Djabi.
Mr. Sanneh testified that the seized drugs included NDMA and amphetamine. He confirmed that the drugs were weighed, and analyzed in a lab and that analytical reports were subsequently provided.
“In your evidence in chief, you told this court that the drugs that were allegedly seized from the first accused and the second accused’s apartment were weighed and analyzed?” Senior State Counsel Lamin Jarju asked.
“Yes,” The witness responded affirmatively.”If you see the weighting certificates and the analytical reports, would you be able to identify them?,” Counsel Jarju asked.
“Yes,” the witness again responded affirmatively.
“How would you be able to identify the weighing certificate and the analytical reports?,” Counsel Jarju asked.”The weighing certificates of the substances are attached together with two identical analytical reports. The weighing certificates bear my name as the witness, which I signed. The analytical reports were stamped and signed by the scientific officer who conducted the analysis,” the witness told the court.
The documents were presented to the witness for verification, and the witness confirmed to the court that they were indeed the same.
Mr. Sanneh identified the weighing certificate and analytical report handed over to him as related to the drug NDMA, allegedly found in the possession of Paulo Djabi, the first accused.
Counsel Jarju then applied to submit the weighing certificate and analytical report as evidence, requesting they be marked as prosecution exhibits.
Senior Counsel Sheriff M. Tambadou, representing the accused, did not object to the documents’ admissibility but expressed concerns regarding the duplication of certain documents.
“I do not have an objection to the weighing certificate. But however, the two analytical reports are exactly the same documents, no difference,” Counsel Tambadou told the court.State Counsel Lamin Jarju withdrew one of the copies of the analytical reports. Honorable Justice Ebrima Jaiteh, the presiding judge, admitted the documents as evidence, marking them as prosecution exhibits P7 and P8.
Counsel Jarju then presented another weighing certificate and analytical report to the witness for identification, which the witness confirmed.
Senior Counsel Sheriff M. Tambadou, representing the accused, did not object to the admissibility of the documents but expressed concern over the duplication of certain documents.
“Is the weighing certificate of the NDMA found in the house of Mamadu Neto Jabbi (3rd accused person) and attached with the analytical report,” the witness told the court.Counsel Jarju submitted a weighing certificate and an analytical report for admission, both of which were identified by the witness.
Counsel S.M. Tambadou raised no objections to the documents’ admissibility as evidence.
Hon. Justice Jaiteh admitted the documents into evidence, marking them as prosecution exhibits P9 and P10, respectively.
The witness was then provided with additional documents for identification, which he completed as requested.
“This is the NDMA weighing certificate that was found in the house of Paulo Djabi and Nadine Pereira and attached to it is the analytical report,” the witness told the court.Counsel Jarju submitted the weighing certificate and an analytical report, identified by the witness, for admission into evidence.
Counsel S.M. Tambadou did not raise any objections to the admissibility of these documents.
Hon. Justice Jaiteh subsequently accepted the documents into evidence, marking them as Prosecution Exhibits P11 and P12.
Hon. Justice Jaiteh then adjourned the case to November 5, 2024.