Hajj Fraud Case: PW5 Reveals How Bajo Arranged Guinea-Bissau Passport for Father's Hajj Trip

Mr Bajo - Accused © Askanwi

By Fatou Konteh,

In our previous story, we reported on PW4 Mudu Jallow’s testimony that he paid D600,000 for Hajj arrangements and was later informed that he would travel using a Guinea-Bissau passport.

The fifth prosecution witness, Mbaji Jaiteh of Fajikunda, has told the Banjul Magistrates’ Court that he paid money in instalments for his father’s proposed Hajj journey through Kanimang Bajo.

Jaiteh testified that in August 2025, his younger brother, Ebrima Jaiteh, who was abroad, gave him Bajo’s telephone number.

He said the number was not a Gambian number.

According to Jaiteh, he contacted Bajo and explained that his brother had given him the number. Bajo confirmed that he was a Hajj agent and told him that his office was in Banjul.

Jaiteh said he initially told Bajo that he only had D50,000, to which Bajo responded that payment could be made by instalments.

He testified that he paid D50,000 in August 2025, D150,000 in September, and another D150,000 in October.

He later made another D150,000 payment, bringing the amount paid under his name to D500,000.

Jaiteh said D100,000 remained from the initially agreed D600,000.

However, he later heard in a WhatsApp group that those who had not reached D600,000 were required to complete their payments.

He said he contacted Bajo and explained that their agreement had been for D550,000.

According to Jaiteh, Bajo told him that the total amount should instead be D585,000.

He subsequently paid another D50,000 under the name of his father, Bai Jaiteh.

Jaiteh testified that after the payments were completed, Bajo instructed him to attend Hajj training near Africell, at the location of Imam Fatty.

He said he later informed his father that everything was in order and that his father became very happy.

However, when the Hajj arrangements collapsed, Jaiteh said his father became deeply saddened.

He told the court that his father was so distressed that he could barely turn the pages of the Qur’an he was reading.

Jaiteh said he was never informed that his father would travel using a Guinea-Bissau passport.

He testified that it was only after the journey failed that a copy of the passport was sent to him through WhatsApp.

During cross-examination, Jaiteh confirmed that his brother had referred him to Bajo.

He also confirmed that he attended a meeting where prospective pilgrims received Hajj training.

When defence counsel asked whether Bajo had provided a passport for his father, Jaiteh said he was only seeing the passport in court.

He also said he had seen a visa for his father on a phone but had never seen a physical copy.

When asked whether he would recognise the visa if shown to him, Jaiteh said he would.

Defence counsel subsequently presented a visa document to the witness and asked whether the photograph on it was that of his father.

Jaiteh confirmed that it was. The prosecution objected to the document, arguing that the witness had not created it and could not establish its authenticity, while also noting that it did not bear a stamp.

The magistrate noted that the document had been presented by defence counsel in relation to the identification issue.

Jaiteh also confirmed that he was part of a WhatsApp group for prospective Hajj pilgrims.

Asked about an audio message alleging that someone identified as Hydara had blocked their visas, he said Jainaba Jobe was the person who made the statement in the group.

However, he said he had not listened to the alleged audio himself.

When defence counsel suggested that the Hajj process had been frustrated and that Bajo had no fraudulent intention because passports and visas had been produced, Jaiteh disagreed.

He said his agreement with Bajo was for his father to travel for Hajj, not merely for a passport and visa to be produced.

The case was adjourned to 29th September 2026 at 10:00 a.m.