By Bruce Asemota
Ibrahim Sanneh, a protocol officer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told the high court that he did not forge the purported letter of approval from the Office of the President to secure a diplomatic passport for one Bakary Susso.
Sanneh made this denial while testifying during cross-examination in the criminal trial involving the state against co-accused Mansa Sumareh and himself.
Sanneh told Justice Ebrima Jaiteh that he acted on the instruction of his senior, Ousman Touray, to take the letter of approval and escort Bakary Susso to the Immigration Department to secure the diplomatic passport.
He explained that after he took the approval letter he was informed about the defects in the letter by Immigration Commissioner Olimatou Jammeh and he returned to his office and reported to Touray that the Immigration refused to issue him the passport because they claimed the approval letter did not bear the stamp of the Office of the President.
Sanneh told the court that Ousman Touray and Saikou Sanneh were his seniors who took him to the Immigration Department and introduced him as the new protocol officer when he started work at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He said he was surprised when Commissioner Jammeh raised the issue of the official stamp because he had submitted several letters without the stamp and the applications were processed and the passports issued.
The cross-examination continues.
