Fugitive Banta Keita reportedly pays D30M fine in absentia 

Reliable sources have confirmed that fugitive businessman Banta Keita, convicted in absentia on drug trafficking charges, has paid the D30 million fine imposed by the High Court of The Gambia.
Keita, also known as Lassana Kante, fled the country following The Gambia’s largest-ever cocaine seizure in 2021. Despite being on the run, he is said to have settled the fine through the judiciary’s account, effectively clearing the penalty handed down when he was sentenced in absentia.

In her ruling, Justice Zainab Nguie Mboob ordered Keita to pay D30,000,000 or, in default, serve 25 years’ imprisonment in hard labour. The conviction related to a series of drug trafficking and money laundering offences.

A source familiar with the matter noted that while the fine has been paid, Keita’s other assets, including boats and residential compounds — remain under state custody.

The case stems from the January 2021 cocaine bust at Banjul Port, where authorities intercepted nearly three tonnes of high-purity cocaine concealed in containers of industrial salt imported from Ecuador. The seizure marked a watershed moment in the country’s fight against international drug trafficking.

Keita remains a fugitive, and his whereabouts are unknown, with rumors suggesting that he has already returned to the country, though it couldn’t be independently verified by The Point as at the time of going to press.

Source: The Point