A former magistrate and two court officials are facing trial at the High Court in Banjul on multiple charges, including fraud, drug-related offenses, breach of trust, and neglect of duty.
Ebrima Janko Colley, a former magistrate at the Kanifing court, along with court registrar Rilwan Ottman and court clerk Mariama Jankey Tamba, appeared before Justice Sarah Aryee as the case began.
The first prosecution witness, Abdoulie Ceesay from the Drug Law Enforcement Agency Gambia (DLEAG), testified that he was assigned a case in October 2021 involving Bubacar Muhammed Sallah, who was convicted for possessing 52 blocks of cocaine. Sallah was sentenced to 12 years in prison or a fine of D5 million, which he later paid to secure his release.
Ceesay explained that after the case concluded, DLEAG requested custody of the drug exhibits for safekeeping and destruction. However, Magistrate Colley initially refused and instructed them to seek approval from the Chief Justice. Upon receiving permission, DLEAG officials returned to collect the exhibits, only to find that the drug evidence had been tampered with.
A test conducted on the confiscated drugs revealed that some of the substances were no longer cocaine. During cross-examination, defense lawyer LK Mboge asked the witness whether he was aware of a recent drug-burning event by DLEAG. Ceesay confirmed his awareness but declined to comment further, citing his role in the investigation.
Mboge then requested the court to order the prosecution to provide a copy of the letter DLEAG sent to the Chief Justice, as well as receipts for the convict’s fine payment and the original charge sheet from the Kanifing court.
The trial is set to continue on February 3.
