High Court Awards Costs to Gach Global Trading Company in Civil Suit Against Saikou Drammeh and Kaddijatou Kebbeh
Abubakar Jawara, CEO Gach Global
The High Court has awarded Gach Global Trading Company a cost of D2,500 following delays in proceedings caused by Saikou Drammeh’s lawyer, Badou S. Conteh, in a civil suit filed against Kaddijatou Kebbeh, a former employee of Gach Global Trading Company, and Saikou Drammeh, the former managing director of Gampetroleum.
Gach Global Trading Company is seeking to recover D58,961,150.00, alleging that the defendants, Saikou Drammeh and Kaddijatou Kebbeh, fraudulently obtained and retained these funds. Additionally, Gach is claiming $221,000.00 (or its equivalent in dalasis), which they assert was unlawfully acquired as payment for petroleum products supplied by the Gam Petroleum Storage Facility. Furthermore, Gach is pursuing $1,600.00 (or its equivalent in dalasis) as commission paid to Kaddijatou Kebbeh for facilitating a petroleum product agreement dated September 16, 2021.
The company is also seeking D1,000,000 for legal and administrative fees, as well as interest of 24% from August 31, 2021, until the date of judgment, with an additional 4% interest thereafter until the judgment sum is fully paid.
Representing Gach Global Trading Company is Senior Lawyer I. Drammeh, while the defendants are represented by Senior Lawyers L.S. Camara and B.S. Conteh.
During the pre-trial conference, following the completion of the plaintiff’s pre-trial conference in which documents from Gampetroleum, GNPC, and Jah Oil, as well as letters and WhatsApp messages, were tendered, Lawyer B.S. Conteh informed the court that he had filed an amended statement of defense on January 29, 2025. He had served the second defendant’s lawyer, L.S. Camara, in court.
Lawyer Conteh was directed to expedite the service of the amended process to the plaintiff. However, Senior Lawyer I. Drammeh emphasized that the case had been scheduled for a pre-trial conference and was expected to proceed as planned.
Senior Lawyer I. Drammeh requested a cost of D10,000 for the delay caused by Lawyer B.S. Conteh in the second defendant’s case. She argued that the delay was a result of defense lawyer B.S. Conteh’s actions. When Lawyer L.S. Camara was asked if he would request costs, he confirmed that he was not seeking any costs.
In response, Lawyer B.S. Conteh objected to the cost requested by Senior Lawyer I. Drammeh, stating that he had been diligent throughout the case and had consistently shown his readiness for the proceedings to move forward. He appealed to the court not to impose costs on him.
Justice Jaiteh, the presiding judge, granted the plaintiff’s application for costs, noting that the first defendant, through Lawyer B.S. Conteh had filed amended processes when it was time for the first defendant to commence the pre-trial conference. This filing, according to the judge, caused a delay in the conference’s commencement. As a result, Justice Jaiteh awarded a cost of D2,500, reducing the amount requested by the plaintiff.
“Counsel for the plaintiff requested D10,000 in costs. However, I will award a cost of D2,500 due to the delay caused by the second defendant’s pre-trial conference,” Justice Jaiteh concluded.
The case was adjourned to March 6, 2025, for the pre-trial conference for both the first and second defendants.