A Gambian High Court ruled Friday that a former narcotics officer who participated in a violent daylight robbery in which he pretended to be a police officer, carried a loaded gun, and banded together with others to steal 600,000 dalasis from a currency exchange operator would serve a 30-year prison sentence.
Yerro Saidy, a former employee of the nation’s drug enforcement agency, was found guilty on three counts in the judgement rendered by Justice S.K. Jobarteh: conspiracy to commit a felony, violent robbery, and impersonation of a public official. The judge rejected Saidy’s claims of innocence and framed him as a key player in a criminal scheme, calling the evidence against him “cogent, credible, and compelling.”
According to court testimony, the crime occurred on the evening of July 27, 2023, while Bureau de Change operator Ebrima Sillah was closing up his store in the crowded neighbourhood of Kerr Sering. A man attacked him as he was about to leave, snatching his bag, which held D600,000, or almost $9,000, and trying to get away. Before the attacker sprayed him with tear gas and aimed a gun at his chest, Sillah chased him on foot while avoiding a speeding car. In a quick move, the victim knocked the weapon out of the attacker’s grasp.
Yerro Saidy emerged amid the tumultuous aftermath. He came in the same car that had almost hit the victim just a few seconds before. Declaring himself a police officer from the Senegambia Police Station while not wearing official identification, Saidy commanded the onlookers to turn over the subdued suspect to him. He said he would take him to the closest station. The crowd obeyed. The suspect vanished from view.
After that, Saidy’s story began to fall apart dramatically, and a months-long investigation revealed what the judge would later refer to as a “sophisticated and coordinated criminal scheme.”
Suspicious of Saidy’s actions, Sillah brought the recovered firearm, a black metal pistol with six live rounds, and a Nokia cell phone that the suspect had dropped to the Senegambia Police Station. He was informed by the officers that no such suspect had been brought in. He waited until eleven o’clock, but Saidy never showed up.
Damning evidence was quickly discovered by police investigators under the direction of Chief Inspector Yerro Saidy, who had no family ties to the accused. An examination of the suspect’s phone’s call logs showed that on the day of the heist, the accused was in contact with a number of people. A black Itel phone whose call history matched records from the suspect’s device was found during a follow-up search of Saidy’s home. According to witnesses, Saidy communicated frequently with two men who are still at large, Pape Sanyang and Kaw Jallow.
Experts in ballistics confirmed that the robbery’s pistol was a working, deadly weapon. Saidy was positioned by other prosecution witnesses as the leader of a small but well-organised group that seemed to be aware of Sillah’s financial transactions. Saidy’s claims of disassociation from the crime were further undermined by testimony from one witness, Edrissa Manneh, who claimed to have witnessed Saidy dining with one of the alleged accomplices.
Saidy insisted that he was a narcotics agent operating undercover to disrupt drug trafficking networks while entering not guilty pleas on all counts. He testified that the investigation was influenced by a long-standing feud with Chief Inspector Saidy and that earlier that year, he had been abducted by men who were upset about a previous cocaine seizure. He gave a long story in which he maintained that his involvement at the robbery scene was innocent, a citizen’s offer to turn over the suspect to the police in an effort to thwart mob justice.
Justice Jobarteh didn’t believe it. He pointed to Saidy’s failure to report the suspect’s alleged escape or turn in the phone that was later discovered in his possession, saying, “The accused’s conduct was wholly inconsistent with that of a concerned citizen.” The judge highlighted the inconsistencies in Saidy’s testimony, especially his justification for the suspect’s phone being discovered in his own drawer a few days later.
The weight of circumstantial evidence demonstrated that Saidy had knowingly conspired with at least one other person, even though there was not enough evidence to link Sanyang and Jallow to the actual robbery, according to Justice Jobarteh’s ruling. The Criminal Code’s Section 24, which permits the prosecution of criminal enterprises on the basis of coordinated actions and shared intent, was cited by the court.
Based on the use of a deadly weapon, the actual violence used during the theft, and Saidy’s crucial assistance in the suspect’s escape, the charge of robbery with violence—which carries the harshest penalty—was upheld. According to the judge, the accused’s wilful use of fictitious credentials to deceive the public—a violation of Section 93(b) of the Criminal Code—aggravated the impersonation charge.
Saidy’s attorney pleaded for leniency, pointing to his client’s medical history, which includes diabetes and hypertension, his status as a first-time offender, and his position as the only provider for a family of seven. However, the judge underlined the necessity of sending a powerful deterrent message and the “alarming rise” in violent crimes.
In accordance with Section 29(2) of the Criminal Code, which permits judges to impose sentences that are less severe than the maximum, Justice Jobarteh gave Saidy consecutive sentences of four years for conspiracy, 23 years for violent robbery, and three years for impersonation. His initial remand date in December 2023 will be used to compute the entire 30-year sentence.
Prior to adjourning, the judge directed the Mile 2 prison administration to provide medical care as required and ordered the return of Saidy’s confiscated personal belongings. As the verdict was read, Saidy, wearing a dark tunic and remaining silent, was reminded of his right to appeal.
