By: Cecilia E.L. Mendy
The criminal case of Paulo Djabi resumed before Justice Ebrima Jaiteh of Banjul High Court, with one of the witnesses testifying and presenting evidence.
Ali Jammeh, the witness who works at the Ministry of Justice in the Company Business Registry section, took the witness box to testify.
Counsel K.S. Tambadou represented the accused while M. Singhateh appeared for the state.
During the cross-examination, Counsel M. Singhateh questioned the witness, who explained the process of registering a business.
“To register a business, one has to fill out an application form and provide a receipt. The required information includes the business name, the owner’s residential address, and email address, with other relevant information,” he explained.
He further explains that after collecting the information, it is entered into the computer system and the data is securely stored. Ali disclosed that the Ministry’s digital system had been in use since 2014.
Counsel M. Singhateh applied to tender three certificates of business registration belonging to the first accused Paulo Djabi, coupled with a search report issued by the Office of the Registrar of Companies as evidence.
Counsel KS Tambadou, representing the accused, objected to the tendering of the documents because the certificate presented before the court did not represent all the businesses registered in the name of the first accused person. Counsel Tambadou further questioned whether a proper search was conducted on the accused person’s registered businesses.
In response, Counsel Singhateh highlighted that the defence had not challenged the authenticity of the documents presented before the court rather questioned whether the documents tendered before the court were the only businesses registered in the name of the accused.
Counsel Singhateh further argued that the proper test for admissibility of documentary evidence was relevant, as set out under Section 3 of the Evidence Act, 1994. She urged the court to dismiss the objection and admit the documents into evidence.
Justice Jaiteh, in his ruling, stated that once a document was relevant to a fact in issue, it was admissible despite any perceived inadequacy.
Meanwhile, upon review, the certificates of business registration were in the name of Paulo Djabi, and the accompanying search report came from the Office of the Registrar of Companies.
Jaiteh further stated that the information and bill of indictment related to charges of money laundering, these business registrations were clearly relevant to establishing the financial and business activities of the first accused, which form material facts in issue.
Justice Jaiteh added that the objection by defence Counsel Tambadou that the documents might not cover all the businesses owned by the first accused did not affect their admissibility. He therefore finds the objection to be misconceived and devoid of merit, and it is accordingly overruled.
The documents were tendered and admitted into evidence. The case was adjourned to 13th November 2025.
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By: Cecilia E.L. Mendy The criminal case of Paulo Djabi resumed before Justice Ebrima Jaiteh of Banjul High Court, with…
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