Immigration Commissioner Testifies National ID Card Serial Number Is Missing From Database

An immigration official testified in court that the serial number on an identity card involved in an objection case could not be traced in the national database, though he could not confirm its validity.

An immigration officer responsible for the National Identity Card unit testified in court that the serial number on an identity card presented in an objection case involving Fatou Darboe and Isatou Bah could not be traced in the national database.

Assistant Commissioner Momodou Jallow stated on Thursday, 15 October, that neither he nor his technical team could find the serial number associated with Bah’s identity card in the system. However, he cautioned that the failure to trace the number did not allow him to determine whether the document was valid or invalid.

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Testifying before Magistrate Isatou Jallow, the Assistant Commissioner noted that he had served as the officer in charge of the National ID Card unit for four years during his time with the Gambia Immigration Department. During cross-examination by Counsel Farage, Jallow confirmed that his findings were based on the inability to locate the number anywhere in the system’s records.

He explained that National ID cards feature three identifiers: a name number, a document number, and a serial number. Despite the missing serial number, the witness maintained that he could not make a definitive statement regarding the card’s validity, adding that the number provided did not correspond with the details presented and that obtaining complete information would be difficult.

Following Jallow’s testimony, Counsel Farage informed the court that he would not call his client or any other witnesses to testify, concluding the presentation of evidence for the objectee’s side. The legal proceedings stem from an objection filed by Fatou Darboe against Isatou Bah.

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