Assistant Commissioner Momodou Jallow appeared in court on Thursday, 15 October, to provide testimony regarding discrepancies in the National ID Card system in The Gambia. During the proceedings, the court examined the documentation of Isatou Bah. Assistant Commissioner Momodou Jallow confirmed that the serial number printed on the identity card belonging to Isatou Bah could not be located within the official National ID Card system database. This testimony marks a development in the ongoing review of records managed by the Gambia Immigration Department. The court continues to evaluate how such inconsistencies occurred within the national registry.
Witness Background and Expertise
Assistant Commissioner Momodou Jallow has held the position of officer in charge of the National ID Card unit for four years. During his tenure, he has overseen the administrative processes and technical systems used to issue identification documents within the Gambia Immigration Department. His responsibilities include the direct supervision of the database architecture and the verification protocols that govern the issuance of official identification to citizens. As the officer in charge, he maintains oversight of the daily operations of the unit, ensuring that the data entry processes align with the established standards of the Gambia Immigration Department.
National ID cards issued by the department contain three distinct identifiers used for record-keeping and verification purposes. These include a name number, a document number, and a serial number. Assistant Commissioner Momodou Jallow explained that these unique codes are intended to correspond directly with entries in the official registry to ensure the integrity of the national identity system. The name number serves to categorize individuals within the broader registry, while the document number acts as a specific reference for the physical card itself. The serial number, which was the focus of the testimony regarding Isatou Bah, acts as a primary security feature intended to confirm the card's validity against the central server. When a serial number fails to generate a match within the database, the system flags the document as unverifiable, preventing the Gambia Immigration Department from confirming the card’s authenticity through standard digital checks.
The technical oversight provided by Assistant Commissioner Momodou Jallow is central to the court’s current inquiry into the registry's reliability. He provided detailed accounts of how the database is queried whenever a card is presented for verification. According to his testimony, the system is designed to reject any card that lacks a corresponding serial number in the digital archives. This procedure is a mandatory step in the authentication process used by the Gambia Immigration Department to prevent the circulation of unauthorized or incorrectly recorded identity documents.
Counsel Farage addressed the court following the testimony regarding these identification parameters. He announced that he would not call any further witnesses to provide evidence on behalf of Isatou Bah. This declaration effectively concludes the current phase of testimony concerning the specific identity card in question. The court is now tasked with weighing the evidence presented by Assistant Commissioner Momodou Jallow against the records previously submitted for Isatou Bah. The proceedings remain focused on the procedural integrity of the National ID Card system and the administrative practices of the Gambia Immigration Department.