Admin
The state law office has brought criminal charges against Paulo Djabi, accusing him of submitting counterfeit medical certificates to the high court in an attempt to gain approval for international travel.
The prosecution asserts that the medical report submitted with Djabi’s application was proven to be fraudulent, as confirmed by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Kanifing General Hospital in a letter dated April 4, 2024 (Ref: KGH/CEO/19/04/2024).
Djabi is facing trial on 15 criminal charges, including drug possession, money laundering, and related offenses. On multiple occasions, he sought permission from the high court, under Justice Jaiteh, to leave The Gambia after a ruling by Justice Achibonga in December 2023, which placed restrictions on his travel while on bail.
Through his lawyer, Kadijatou Jallow, Djabi has filed a motion before Justice Jaiteh requesting permission to travel for medical reasons. This motion is supported by an affidavit sworn by Djabi himself.
“I have been experiencing pain during the three months I was in custody and I had been taking painkillers, believing it to be minor. The pain is primarily in my abdominal area, especially on the left side, and has been persistent. After my release, I went to different hospitals for check-ups. Due to its persistence, I decided to undergo a general evaluation.
As a result, I was diagnosed with left kidney stones and secondary hydronephrosis, which requires extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy at Kanifing General Hospital which was reduced to a Medical Report,” Pablo stated.
He submitted a copy of the medical report from Kanifing General Hospital.
Senior State Counsel Lamin Jarju accused Pablo Djabi of submitting a forged medical certificate to the High Court in an effort to gain permission to travel abroad and filed criminal charges of forgery against him.
The state presented its first witness to support its case. Karanlang Badjie, a police officer with the Serious Crime Unit in Banjul, testified that he knew the accused from their office.
Badjie recalled that on October 19, 2024, their office received a request from the Attorney General’s Chambers for the Inspector General to investigate a suspected fake medical report. He stated that Pablo Djabi was invited to the police headquarters and confronted with the document.
He further testified that Paulo claimed to have been ill, with his sister arranging for a doctor to diagnose him with left kidney stones and secondary hydronephrosis, which he said required medical treatment abroad. Paulo stated that he obtained a medical report from Dr. Lamin K. Saidy at Kanifing General Hospital for this purpose.
During the investigation, Badjie revealed that they found no record of Dr. Saidy at Kanifing General Hospital or its medical board, and the report did not conform to the hospital’s standard medical certificates.
Badjie stated that Pablo Djabi was charged with forgery, but exercised his right to legal counsel, and they allowed him to contact his lawyer before providing a statement.
Counsel L. Jarju asked the witness if he could recognize the medical certificate, to which Badjie affirmed. The witness confirmed that the document he received from Pablo Djabi was the medical certificate in question.
Counsel L. Jarju then requested to submit the certificate into evidence, with no objections from defense lawyer S. Tambadou. The presiding judge, Justice Jaiteh, admitted the document as Exhibit P1.
The witness continued, explaining that the request from the Ministry of Justice was accompanied by a medical report signed by Dr. Lamin K. Ceesay, naming Pablo Djabi as the patient. Counsel L. Jarju sought to tender this document as well.
S. Tambadou objected, arguing that the document was secondary and did not meet the requirements of the Evidence Act. He also pointed out that the prosecution had not explained its origin.
In response, L. Jarju explained that they had filed a notice to produce and that the law allows the submission of a secondary document under such circumstances. He added that since the hospital had stated that the document did not come from them, only a photocopy could be provided.
Ultimately, S. Tambadou withdrew his objection, and the presiding judge, Justice Jaiteh, admitted the document as Exhibit P2.
Badjie further testified that he had obtained both a cautionary and voluntary statement from the accused. When asked if he recognized the documents, he confirmed he could identify them by his handwriting and signature.
After reviewing the statements, Badjie confirmed they were indeed made by the accused. Counsel L. Jarju then requested to submit both statements into evidence, and with no objections from the defense, the presiding judge, Justice Jaiteh, admitted them as Exhibits P3 and P4.
Counsel L. Jarju requested an adjournment, which the court granted. The case is adjourned to February 23, 2025, from 09:30 to 10:30 for the continuation of the hearing.
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.