By Bruce Asemota
The High Court in Banjul presided over by Justice Ebrima Jaiteh has permitted Nadine Ismael De Gouveira Pareira, wife of Paulo Djabi, to travel to Portugal for 20 days for the Christmas vacation.
Paulo, Nadine and Mamadi Neto Djabi are standing criminal trial on drug related offences.
Nadine’s lawyers submitted a 17-paragraph affidavit when making the request for her to be granted leave to travel abroad. The state opposed the application and filed an 18-paragraph affidavit in opposition.
Nadine’s lawyer Sheriff Tambadou urged the court to grant the application and that the applicant is willing to come and defend the charges levelled against her by the state.
Tambadou presented one Saikou Conteh to the court who testified and affirmed that he was willing to pledge and forfeit a D5 million bail bond to the state in the event the applicant failed to appear in court on the next adjourned date.
The judge further asserted that the applicant is under bail noting that the applicant has been released from the custody of the state into the custody of the surety in the sum of D5 million.
Justice Jaiteh said the trial is progressing before his court and that the applicant has deposed to the fact that she is willing to defend the charges levelled against her.
He granted the application, stating that he is inclined to grant the application pursuant to Order 6 Rule 2 of the First Schedule of the High Court Rules and in the interest of justice.
He ordered Nadine to have temporary access to her international passport which was deposited with the registry of the court and for her to be permitted to travel to Portugal during the Christmas vacation period from the 20th December 2024 to 18th January 2025.
The matter was adjourned to 20th January, 2025 for hearing of the second principal witness.
