Magistrate Krubally of the Banjul Magistrates Court
A magistrates’ court in Banjul has convicted a businessman, Ousman Drammeh, of obtaining money by false pretenses in a long-running case involving a failed sugar import deal and losses exceeding seven million dalasis.
In a judgment delivered by Principal Magistrate M. Krubally of the Banjul Magistrates’ Court, Mr. Drammeh was found guilty on a single count under Section 288 of the Criminal Code, bringing to a close a three-year legal battle marked by delays, an international dimension, and the accused’s disappearance from court proceedings.
According to the court’s findings, Mr. Drammeh in late 2021, persuaded a businessman, Momodou Juldeh Jallow, to pay $135,000 for 30 containers of crystal sugar purportedly imported from Brazil. To support the claim, Mr. Drammeh presented photocopies of bills of lading and told Mr. Jallow that the sugar had already arrived at the Banjul seaport.
Testimony from the prosecution’s key witness, Mass Jeng, established that the containers did not belong to Mr. Drammeh. Instead, they were owned by a third party, Muctar Bah, who later cleared the shipment. Mr. Jallow, the court heard, continued to wait for original shipping documents that were never produced.
Prosecutors said Mr. Drammeh continued to collect money from Mr. Jallow despite knowing the goods were unavailable, at times requesting additional funds for what he claimed were legal fees and costs linked to alleged High Court seizures.
The trial was interrupted in 2023 after Mr. Drammeh absconded when ordered to open his defense. Proceedings resumed only after he was arrested by police in December 2025 at the Banjul ferry terminal.
In his defense, Mr. Drammeh acknowledged receiving the $135,000 but attributed the failed transaction to delays in payments and complications with international bank transfers involving Brazil and Turkey, as well as demurrage charges. Magistrate Krubally rejected the explanation, describing it as weak and intended to conceal fraudulent conduct.
“The accused has been on the run since 2023 and failed to appear before this court,” Magistrate Krubally said, noting that the disappearance had frustrated both the judicial process and the complainant.
In sentencing, the magistrate said he had exercised discretion in light of Mr. Drammeh’s status as a first-time offender. The court imposed a fine of 100,000 dalasis or, in default, one year in prison, and ordered compensation of 100,000 dalasis to the victim, along with a full refund of the $135,000, equivalent to about 7.22 million dalasis.
The court further directed Mr. Drammeh to pay the fine and make an immediate down payment of 300,000 dalasis toward restitution, followed by monthly installments of 500,000 dalasis beginning Feb. 10, 2026. To secure compliance, Magistrate Krubally ordered the deposit of a property title deed equivalent to the total sum owed, warning that failure to pay would result in the sale of the property and a three-year prison sentence.