Foday Barry, the former director of Intelligence and Investigation at the National Drug Enforcement Agency (NDEA), who also serves as the second defence witness (DW2), was yesterday cross-examined before Magistrate Dawda A Jallow of the Banjul Magistrates Court, in the ongoing theft trial involving him and the state. Barry told the court that he was employ at the NDEA on 10th June 2010 and that he also worked at the Gambia Police Force(GPF), National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and Drug Squad.

According to him, he was the director of Intelligence and Investigation at the NDEA and that he knows Roberth Danquah and one Ousman Drammeh, who were prosecution witnesses four and five respectively, adding that the two were both arrested by personnel of his agency based on the intelligence information concerning Roberth Danquah being involved and part of the organisers of the two-tonne cocaine seized at Bonto Village in the West Coast Region in 2009.

DW2 further testified that during their investigation they found out that Roberth Danquah was connected with the two-tonne of cocaine case and that he has evidence to prove it. He also disclosed that there was a DHL package sent by Roberth Danquah from Monrovia to The Gambia addressed to one of the accused persons involved in the two-tonne cocaine trial, who he said absconded. He also told the court that part of the package was found in Baobab Island by the investigators.

The former NDEA boss further revealed that in the said package contained some money and a satellite phone. He said that when Danquah was confronted, he made a statement confirming that he sent the package. He asserted that the satellite phone has something to do with the cocaine found at Bonto in 2009. DW2 also testified that it was based on intelligence information and support by Special Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) that Roberth Danquah was arrested. He further stated that after their findings he (Roberth) was not charged because he escape from lawful custody before the end of the investigation and that he was arrested before Danquah came back to The Gambia.

According to DW2, he interrogated both PW4 and PW5 when they were arrested by his agency. He said that he was only informed that money was received from Roberth Danquah and not Ousman Drammeh.

Barry also told the court that he cannot remember exactly the amount of money received from Danquah and that Ebrima K Jammeh, DW1 counted the money , which was kept at a safe in his office. "Roberth told me that the money was meant for the legal fee of the convict in the two-tonne cocaine trial," he stated.

He told the court that this was one of the reasons why he believed that Danquah was connected to the two-tonne cocaine organizers'. Barry however, denied allegations that he requested a sum of 200,000 euro from Danquah through PW4 (Ousman Drammeh) and that it wasn't correct that he found D12,000 in the bag of PW4. He also maintained that no suspect or detainee is interrogated by only one NDEA officer without other at Holgam. He told the court that he was not aware that Danquah was acquitted and discharged and that it was also not true that he used his power and authority to detain Danquah, as he has no evidence against him. The case was adjourned to 15th August 2013.