By Nicholas Bass
The Banjul High Court on Monday ordered three senior government officials to open their defence in an ongoing corruption trial after dismissing a no-case submission filed by the defence.
Justice Ebrima Jaiteh ruled that former Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Health, Muhammed Lamin Jaiteh; Manager of the Malaria Control Programme, Balla Kandeh; and Executive Director of HePDO, Omar Malleh Ceesay, must begin presenting their defence testimony.
The ruling followed a no-case-to-answer submission by defence counsel Kaddijatou Jallow, which the court dismissed, concluding that the prosecution had established a prima facie case.
According to court records, between 2018 and 2020, the accused persons allegedly obtained money by false pretence, engaged in forgery, committed economic crimes, and stole funds from transactions and payments made under the Global Fund malaria grant, a programme designed to protect public health. The indictment suggests the alleged offences undermine the integrity of public finance management and donor-funded health initiatives.
All three accused pleaded not guilty at the start of the trial.
To prove its case, the state presented 12 witnesses drawn from the Ministry of Health, the Police Fraud Squad, and the administrative structures of the Health Promotion and Development Organization (HePDO).
Justice Jaiteh outlined the significance of the testimonies, beginning with PW1, Satang B. Houma, Financial Controller at the Ministry of Health’s Project Unit, who established the financial background of the transactions under scrutiny. PW2, Ernest Anthony Mendy, Co-Founder and Board Member of HePDO, explained the organisation’s governance systems, while PW3, Sheriff S. Corr, a Police Fraud Squad officer, detailed the investigative steps taken.
The judge also highlighted testimonies from PW4, Muhammed Sissohor, and PW5, Basirou Phillot, whose names were allegedly used fraudulently as consultants without their knowledge to facilitate unlawful cash withdrawals.
Justice Jaiteh noted that PW6, Amadou Badjie, Accountant and Admin/Finance Manager at HePDO, provided key evidence on internal financial procedures and procurement processes.
“Collectively, these exhibits and testimonies establish a coherent and compelling narrative linking the accused to deliberate fraud, financial mismanagement, and theft,” the judge stated.
He added that the prosecution’s evidence sufficiently established the essential elements of the alleged offences, thereby rendering the defence’s no-case submission unsustainable.
“The no-case submissions advanced on behalf of the accused are therefore dismissed,” Justice Jaiteh ruled.
The court held that the three accused have a case to answer on all 28 counts in the indictment and subsequently ordered Balla Kandeh, Omar Malleh Ceesay, and Muhammadou Lamin Jaiteh to open their defence.
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By Nicholas Bass The Banjul High Court on Monday ordered three senior government officials to open their defence in an…
The post Court Orders Three Senior Government Officials to Open Defence in Corruption Trial appeared first on .
