By Alhagie Jobe
The government of President Yahya Jammeh has finally dismissed all the top government officials arrested and detained in the past few days, the Fatu Network has confirmed.
They are Nuha Touray, Secretary to Cabinet at the Office of the President Momodou Badjie, managing director of Gambia National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), Fafa Sanyang, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum, Seedy Kanyi, General Manager of Gambia Transport Service Corporation.
They are all reported to have received their dismissal letters on Tuesday at the NIA offices in Banjul where they are currently detained helping the authorities in their investigation.
Momodou Badjie, managing director of Gambia National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) was reportedly escorted to his office late Tuesday by NIA Operatives for a search and later returned back to the NIA.
Meanwhile, Sira Wally Ndow-Njie, former Deputy Minister of Tourism and Culture, Muntaga Sallah, former Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Cherno Marena, the former Solicitor General who are also being detained, have since been sacked.
Scandal
It could be recalled that over the weekend, government security agents mounted a mass arrest in which all these top government official were rounded up from different locations. It was not clear at the onset of what exactly was behind the arrest.
On Monday, the Office of the President issued a statement announcing that it has discovered ‘one of the most serious economic crimes’ in government during the past twenty-two years of the Second Republic and that all those suspected to be involved are currently helping the competent security officers in the execution of their mandate to investigate into the matter.
The Office of the President said the cluster of issues concerns the procurement of petroleum and hence the institutions involved include the Ministry of Petroleum, the Gambia National Petroleum Company (GNPC) and the Board of GNPC.
