Five Gambian airport workers were ordered to present their defence in a drug trial, and four Portuguese women were acquitted and released by the High Court in Banjul, which is presided over by Justice Ebrima Jaiteh.
This statement was delivered by Justice Jaiteh in a decision regarding the defense’s no case to answer submission.
Three counts of narcotics crimes are brought against the defendants. In June of last year, the four women—Vilma Cabral Roel, Ana Patricia Dos Santo Furtado, Simara Nadiya Martins, and Miriam Maria Mendes—were accused of having illegal substances for trafficking in their hands and planning to board a flight to Barcelona, Spain.
Five Gambian airport employees—Seedy Ceesay, Lamin Ceesay, Yaya K. Jatta, Modou Bojang, and Muhammad Jallow—were also charged.
The trial judge revealed that after giving careful thought to the points made in front of the court, he concluded that the prosecution had not established a prima facie case against the four Portuguese women and, as a result, that they had no defence.
The judge did state, however, that the prosecution had established a strong basis for a prima facie case against the five Gambian airport workers.
According to him, the five airport employees brought attention to the case’s intricate web of players engaged in illegal drug trafficking.
The five can only explain their involvement and address the accusations of drug peddling and conspiracy against them by putting up their defence, Justice Jaiteh said.
As a result, on May 26, the five were invited to enter their defence.
