Morro Krubally, UTG

Dr. Sir,

Following a view of the online video of the Sitting of Commission of Inquiry into the Financial Dealings of the Former President Jammeh, this letter is spurred by, in particular, the session with the former Director General of Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation (SSHFC), Mr. Graham. I make this analysis referencing facts delivered by the Commission and validated by Mr. Graham.

In this vein, allow me to begin my letter with these questions:

1) What is the Provident Fund, or was it Provident FRAUD? ·

2)What was the intent of creating the Fund? ·

3) Who was supposed to be the beneficiary of the Fund? ·

4) What games were played with the Fund?

5) Who really benefited from the Fund or FRAUD?

What really Obtained; if a sham is an understatement? The aim of this “letter” is to shed light on what transpired at SSHFC vis-a-vis the Provident fund, and my heart bleeds as I give this narrative.

Firstly, what is a Provident fund? According to Investopedia Academy, “A provident fund is a form of social safety net into which workers must contribute a portion of their salaries and employers must contribute on behalf of their workers.” The money in the fund is then paid out to retirees or in some cases to the disabled who cannot work.” The SSHFC provident fund was an employee retirement fund, a creative financing scheme that is no different in principle from a 401K retirement package that employers are mandated by law to offer their employees in the United States. Other civilized countries around the world may call it different names but in principle serves the same purpose of providing for a retirement package; a social security for employees. As a strategic financing scheme, if properly managed, the fund can guarantee a respite for retirees. Is this what Mr. Manjang, the embattled MD is trying to do? Has Mr. Manjang really strategized to accomplish this aim through employee buy-in? Had it not been rushed but thought out, he would have avoided, as science has shown us the predictable reaction to change is resistance. People naturally resist change and hence change management should have been thought out before forcing change down the throat of the employees.

A direct quote from the mantra of SSHFC reads: “The social security and housing finance corporation assures the Gambia populace a guaranteed social security future.” With the findings of the Commission of Inquiries, you can say with 100% certainty that this security is no more, as Yaya Jammeh has deephis hands in the cookie jar just because he could, sending many generations’ retirement security into flames/bankrupt. Is this what Mr. Manjang wants to reverse through change of policy and status quo? Noble idea, but again a good strategy may have helped to avert staff resistance to change. Show me a person who does not understand the magnitude of the Jammeh and cronies loot of SSHFC, and I will show you a sycophant or a plain ignoramus.

Secondly, what was the intent to create the Provident Fund? SSHFC was created as an Act of Parliament in 1981 with the mandate to provide social protection and shelter for Gambians. Separate from this mandate, the corporation remains an active partner in national development. The corporation prides itself with strong participation in key sectors of the national economy; health, education, agriculture and tourism etc. Under the current status quo is this possible? Again, Mr. Manage wants to right the ship but the strategy (rudder) was not well positioned.

Mr. Graham explained with pain the mission of SSHFC by elucidating with numeracy the various benefits derived from the activities of SSHFC. He was not happy that the commission only wanted to deal with the ugly side of SSHFC as it may be relevant to the Provident Fund. One of the panelist reminded Mr. Graham that they were not being judgmental but on a fact-finding mission. To SSHFC’s credit, thank you for being financially creative but the fact remains that you allowed the loot of the funds. One of the facts here states as the mission statement of SSHFC:

“The corporate mission is to provide adequate social protection for workers, facilitate social shelter delivery on a sustainable basis and invest funds of the Corporation to achieve optimum returns possible and contribute meaningfully towards the socio-economic development of the Gambia.”  Is this what Mr. Manjang wants to do now? Makes sense! But do the employees understand this and that in the end is good for everyone? Given the most recent revelations discerned from the witness statements of Mr. Graham with documentary evidence, large sums of money were removed from the fund in the name of loans to Yaya Jammeh; with no intent to pay back. Without a question, this can now be qualified as a FRAUDof the monumental proportion. Is this the fraud that Mr. Manjang now wants to abate? Do the employees really understand this? But was employee buy in a way to support his policy? My unsolicited advice, revisit the approach!

Gambians were taken for a fool and for the longest ride ever. Nowhere in history can we find a fraud scheme paralleling such mass fraudulence visited on us by a monster of despicable character, call Yaya Jammeh, and his enablers.  Anyone who fails to grasp the implications of this act by Yaya Jammeh, has their head buried in the sand. Here is a man who was famous for leveling “economic crimes” against innocent people.  Today we know the magnitude of graft Jammeh was involved in siphoning SSHFC fund for personal use. Now, revelations of the commission have unmasked the hight of hypocrisy of Yaya Jammeh.

Thirdly, who was supposed to be beneficiaries of the Fund? Ordinary employees, low paying and hardworking Gambian workers contributing to the fund were supposed to be the beneficiaries of the provident fund. My employer for example, in addition to my monthly contribution, marched my contribution for a healthy monthly deposit in the fund. While many contributed to the fund in hopes of one-day cashing in for a retirement income, Yaya Jammeh was busy looting the fund to satisfy, in the words of former Secretary-General, Njogu Bah, a “large appetite for money”. I am not sure if Yaya Jammeh was the only one who had a large “appetite for money”. Maybe he does, but we can equally call others having a large appetite for dishonorably enabling that which they call a “large appetite”. I am not sure if those enablers of Jammeh can cast aspersions on Jammeh. Anyway, that is a story for another time. Now it is clear that Yaya Jammeh has mortgaged my future right along with the future of the next generations for a long time as the trickledown effect of his fraudulent act sinks deep as a reality. Today, some people cannot collect their pension because SSHFC cannot pay. Has Mr. Manjang really had a heart to heart talk with the general staff to understand the dire financial situation inherited by him at SSHFC? This may have helped get the buy-in necessary for their cooperation to reverse financial incapacitation of the institution. Employee buy-in does not come in draconian ways. The situation at SSHFC now requires delicate handling through mediation to resolve this matter. Faceoff with the employees will not work.

I do not foresee how the fund can be saved without an immediate injection of money in the form of a government bailout. Don’t get your hopes high! This now warrants confiscating anything owned by Yaya Jammeh. Government should seek international cooperation to go after Yaya Jammeh’s identified loot anywhere in the world to repay the provident fund. Does it come as a surprise to those of you who knew Yaya Jammeh from secondary school to the army that indeed Yaya Jammeh had the most defective moral compass unparalleled anywhere in the world. Many of you warned your commanders about the indisciplined character of Jammeh but the commanders turned a deaf ear and dismissed him as a buffoon that eventually metamorphosized to a monster of gigantic proportions. Gambia will never forget him. The commanders may very well be guilty of complacency (a Gambian disease) a cure for which we are yet to discover.

Fourthly, what games were played with the Fund? The whole Fund was a game for Jammeh and it is unfortunate some people by default played right along. The loot was masqueraded as a loan which now we know was a sham of the highest order. Yaya Jammeh withdrew millions from the fund to buy an aircraft; imagine for his personal use! Jammeh took millions from the fund to dish out cash gifts to cronies and musicians. The Fund was a piggy bank that satiated Jammeh’s appetite for play money. This now brings to mind the Utilitarian philosophy of Jeremy Bentham. “The main idea is that the highest principle of morality, be it personal or political morality is to maximize the general welfare where the collective happiness weighs greater than the overall balance of pain, in a phrase, maximizes utility.” Bentham’s line of reasoning is that we are all governed by pain and pleasure as our sovereign masters, so any moral system has to take both into account and ensure the greatest good for the greatest number. Jammeh never had an inkling what a utilitarian philosophy meant. He was not mentally capable to understand that. That is why the general welfare for the overall good of Gambians was not his interest but only his own happiness mattered. This is the price we paid in perpetrating Jammeh’s rule, and now we have a bankrupt retirement fund. Yaya Jammeh’s leadership was the total antithesis of the utilitarian principle but rather his was the epitome of egoism of the typed that parallels even that of the ten most brutal dictators since the dawn of time. What a dichotomy that such a character could have come from a serene society such as our home, called The Gambia or Senegambia for that matter.  Yahya’s happiness was greater than in its totality the happiness of the Provident Fund contributors. The incredulity of this thought borders on inhumanity.

Fifthly, what a game! The game further compounded when the enablers of Jammeh were at the center of power; sitting on the SSHFC board. Was Amadou Samba once a board chair of the corporation? If the answer is in the affirmative, need I say more? So if we are going to metaphorically explain this, we would use a game of basketball. The board chair would pass the ball that is furnishing Jammeh with the information that SSHFC is sitting on a big pile of liquidity. Jammeh then imagines oh! I need an aircraft.

Passing the ball back, he tells the board chair I need $3.4 million, where do you think I can get this money from? Oh! No problem your Excellency, SSHFC is super liquid we can dish out a loan without a problem says, board chair. Board chair passes the ball (information) to Managing Director that His Excellency needs money for a state aircraft. Bring the proposal to the board says the board chair, and we will put our stamp on it. So finally Jammeh dunks a three-pointers by securing a score in the tune of $millions. So this is how the ball is passed around in every case where Jammeh uses enablers to score big in looting the life savings of ordinary and hard working Gambians.

Where did we go wrong? So now you know who really benefited from the Fund or should I now say the FRAUD. We have just seen the tip of the iceberg. As the movie at the commission unravels, brace up for the shocker of a lifetime.  Conclusively, a page is now being written in the annals of Gambia’s history, a page that will predictably remain in our psyche for generations to come. One man, one man of simple origins, one man of indiscipline character, one man with uncontrollable appetite for money, women, power, and one man devoid of sophistication (he tried very hard but sophistication eluded him); one man who deluded himself that marry a world class escort (I do not want to use the P word) was better than any decent homegirl, and one man who brought so much disrepute to the Gambia on the global stage, has left an indelible mark on our lives as a people who may not be able to cash in our retirement accounts. Please allow Mr. Manjang the chance to turn the ship around for our common good. This may be too late I guess.

So, many of us will have to work well into the golden years, that is if we manage to be an out layerof the stark statistics of the life expectancy of the Gambia. This is the price we paid elevating such a man to the helm of power. I remain in consternation that there remains persons in this country who will still sing the praises of Jammeh. I remain amazed that certain characters with a measure of intelligence would still want to associate themselves with Yaya Jammeh. Have these people really seen Yaya for what he is worth? Have they seen Yaya for the destructions he has brought to bear on the lives of ordinary Gambians? Yaya has wreaked havoc on a people for two decades and even when the facts are now glaringly in our face, sentimentality seems to have overcome our sensibilities blasting us into the stratosphere of denial for lack of a better word.

How sad! Yaya Jammeh must be rejected in totality. Yaya victimized a nation, and not just one home but the whole nation of Gambia. Yahya’s crime is against humanity, and there he must be judged accordingly. For the above reasons, I wish to forward to your attention Sir, that with immediate effect, I no longer wish to contribute to the Provident Fund. I want to now create my own social security, and create my own savings for my retirement. Oh! By the way my coworkers are also considering writing to you for the same purpose as they wish to now minimize their loses by pulling out of the Provident Fund or FRAUD which any word you wish to use, the end result remains the same a SHAM. We were fooled for SSHFC Provident Fund, albeit well intended, was a FRAUD. Mr. Manjang the task for you is to assure us that you can turn things around for the common retiree. Is not late, mediators can still sit you down with the staff and work this out. The baby step approach to change is your best option and not draconian approach.

Sincerely, Morro Krubally, UTG

Alagi Yorro Jallow

Corruption is a very broad term, which has wider significance. It might refer to a multitude of different illicit conducts, which inevitably include petty corruption, where the corrupt-phenomenon amount seems to be little in comparison to the overall business transactions. The diffusion of such an illicit behavior, which is extremely widespread, is nevertheless very alarming. I like to depict corruption as a multi-faceted and tentacular evil creature that has the power to infect every aspect of our society. It is a tribute to an Italian movie series of the 1980s that focused on Mafia and was called “La Piovra” (Giant Octopus) because of the notorious corruptive powers of such a criminal organization.

So, there’s this conversation going on about the decay in the Gambian psyche and how corruption is cannibalizing us as a society. Thing is, literal or metaphorical in the composition of the high level of corruption and the infelicity to which we refer, and of which we have had some unfortunate examples of late corruption scandals inherent in our society. So, Gambians are inherently thieves. There I said it. It’s like the old adage – a man is only as faithful as his options. Given a chance to steal, most Gambians would do it. I’d even go as far as saying most people have a problem with corruption only if they’re not benefiting from it. But if they are, they will be so comfortable getting fat, lazy and complacent and not worrying about the impact of collective thievery.

Gambians love a “deal” regardless of the cost of that deal to society. It’s an itch. Whenever we see a gap, we have to go through it. We’ve got a problem when you have parents forcing their kids to study procurement in university so that they can become thieves. You have kids who tell you when I grow up, I want to be an accountant, an actuary, broker, economists, lawyer and a judge, because they know bribes are paid there in US dollars – hehehe this is where Dr. Lamin Darboe, Momodu Musa Drammeh, Ibrahim Kijera, Sajarr Cecilia Thomas and folks come for me for slander and libel. Duh! I wasn’t the first to suggest it. I’ll pick a ticket and join the queue for those being sued.

One of the saddest stories for me was a few years ago when a young man was arrested, prosecuted and jailed within 72 hours. No, he didn’t steal millions from GAMTEL, Gambia Revenue Authority, Ports Authority or something like that. He was just recently married, and he was caught stealing a small bottle of Laura Mercier Almond Coconut Milk Souffle Body Crème, and a Coco butter lotion from Maroun’s Supermarket. He said that he wanted to make his new bride happy by getting her a “smell good” crème, lotion, something that he’s never been able to afford. You feel sad for the guy – what to do? His reasons for stealing were valid from his point of view. But ask yourself, there’s folks stealing millions and stealing the birth right of hundreds of thousands of Gambians, their pensions, their savings and retirement plans, their Social Security contributions – Yeah there, I said it, and if you’re doubting, do your homework and see how much of Social Security contributions over the last few decades have gone to the personal account of corrupt leaders owned accounts in Lichtenstein and in Panama – and yet some of these thieves are walking the street and in political office.

Everyone under the sun knows the political mafioso thugs in charge and they know that in years, these guys have orchestrated the theft of over millions of dollars. It makes you wonder what the threshold of being a thief is these days. Just you try stealing chicken feed or a cabbage in someone’s home garden. God forbid you make a mistake of carrying a knife to cut off the cabbage or to facilitate your theft. That’s technically armed robbery, the statute dictating that since you carried a weapon, you had the intent to use it to harm, therefore it’s life imprisonment.

The Gambia, regardless of our political tradition, culture or socio-economic status, has seen official bribery, misappropriation of public funds and misuse of public functions. (As Lord Acton famously put it in the late 19th century: “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely”.) And of all the forms corruption takes, this is one of the most difficult to eradicate. Quid-pro-quo political corruption is a means of channeling personal influence and getting advantages from it. And because it mainly affects a country’s dominant class, it has a way of engulfing people with enough power to tackle it. This also explains why the most effective legal instruments adopted at both the domestic and international level have focused their power on the act of bribing public officials.

The misuse of power to obtain something of value for a private interest. Our society is not immune to corruption, this criminal phenomenon is particularly endemic in politics.

I have no part in the ruckus going on within and among the staff of the Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation. I am neither with the staff nor am I with the Managing Director, but I have serious reservations about the institution itself. I am a Gambian citizen working as a servant of the nation and I am entitled to certain benefits from this institution provided I fulfill certain criteria which, to the best of my ability, I have – and continue to – fulfil.

By its name, this institution is supposed to provide a security and safety net for the ordinary and poor citizens like myself. Seeing that in countries like ours, the salary is so miserable, so small and insignificant, institutions like this are set up to ensure that when we complete our work – retire – we will not want, not be destitute and homeless in our own yard. That is what the Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation is – should be – about.

The Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation is set up by the government to work towards making plans and arrangements which will ensure that when people leave office they will not want, they will have something to fall back on. Thus, it is supposed to provide schemes which will make it possible for retirees to have access to cheap and affordable houses and other needs so as to be able to live good and dignified lives.

However, what we observe in the past few decades is that the SSHFC was not interested in the welfare of the people who are – should be – its primary beneficiaries. These beneficiaries are actually its principal shareholders inasmuch as it is their contributions that makes it a viable entity. We have seen – or heard – how the former president will – at the ring of the telephone – siphons millions of dalasis from the coffers of this institution. What about the poor workers who have been contributing to the fund from their hard-earned money? What will you tell them when the time comes that they need the returns on their investments?

We know for a fact that sometimes people or even institutions or departments can go for three to four years without getting their tax return information from the SSHFC. What is the matter that an institution as large as the SSHFC and with hundreds of employees and hundreds of millions cannot make the necessary arrangements to give its principal shareholders information about their ‘ill-fated’ investments? Who is to blame for that? Is it the staff or the management therein?

We have heard of staff of the infamous Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation giving themselves hundreds of thousands of dalasis to build houses and go for further education and whatnot. That in itself is not wrong because almost all institutions do that anyway, but it should be in addition to doing what they are meant to do in the first place. Do these people provide us any relief in the form of cheap housing and other benefits in the first place? Well, if the answer is yes, I have no idea; I have never seen or heard anyone (outside) of the institution benefitting from such.

Now, on the current standoff where the staff are demanding the sacking of the Managing Director and where the manager making a case of his innocence of the charges they levy against him, I am neither here nor there. But I think the government’s slow action is contributing to the continuous logjam. When this matter came to the notice of the presidency months ago, swift and stern action should have been taken after investigation was conducted. Why didn’t the government take the right measures to ensure that the problem is handled properly instead of allowing it to fester?

My advice is that the government should seek a solution to this problem as soon as possible. The Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation should be reformed and put in the right direction to ensure that the primary purpose of its existence is met. The Gambian worker deserves better and we can’t continue to watch the institution that is meant to smoothen our future continue to be destroyed by in-fighting within its ranks. Whoever’s fault it is, is not our main concern. Our main concern is that they should put their house in order so that they can serve us right!

Tha Scribbler Bah

A Concerned Citizen

The Director of Press at the Office of the President, Mrs Amie Bojang Sissoho has said that the First Lady, Fatoumata Bah Barrow’s Foundation is not part of her jurisdiction.

The Presidential Spokesperson who was speaking at a press briefing made these remarks regarding the D33 Million Dalasi deposited to the said Foundation’s bank account by TBEA Company LTD, a Chinese manufacturer of power transformers and a developer of transmission projects. The saga raised eyebrows in the country, especially on social media.

“The First Lady’s Foundation is not part of my jurisdiction,” Madame Bojang Sissoho said.

The State House Press Director further stated that her office is treating the President’s wife as First Lady without having anything to do with her foundation.

“I’m not a member of the First Lady’s Foundation,” she added.

Responding to the D11 Million donation from an anonymous philanthropist to President Barrow, the State House Press Director said the anonymous donor is a genuine person who wants to support the government. She added that some of these anonymous donors made agreements with President Barrow not to reveal their identities.

Despite, the public outcry President Barrow persistently accepted donations from anonymous sources such as the 57 pickup trucks given to the National Assembly including the recent D11 Million Dalasi given to the pilgrims to Mecca.

“The President has assured that his government is committed to transparency,” Madame Bojang Sissoho said.

The State House Press Director also told journalist about plans to set up an Anti-Corruption Commission which she said the President would not have established if he is engaged in corrupt practices.

Madame Bojang Sissoho also informed the press about the appointment of one Lamin Samateh as the head of the six member panel assigned to look into the Social Security saga.

The SSHFC saga has been dragging for the past months after the Managing Director was petitioned by the staff to the Office of the President calling for his removal.The disgruntled staff have yesterday closed the Head Office protesting for the authorities to revoke the suspension of Momodou Camara, a staff representative.

Meanwhile, the Director of Press disapproved the question raised by one of the journalists regarding the alleged views of the SSHFC Staff about the President’s statement on the matter.

State House, 29th August 2018

 President Barrow has inaugurated a six-member panel to look into matters at the Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation (SSHFC). It is headed by Mr. Momodou Samateh, the current Chairperson of the Public Service Commission (PSC), who has extensive national and international experience in public administration.

The panel has a period of one month to present a comprehensive report to the President. The findings will also inform the government’s policy on crisis management in public enterprises and parastatals in the country.

In his inaugural remark, President Barrow said: “In our new democracy, we have to identify people who have the capacity, professional ethics and honesty to take responsibility. It is in this context that members have been chosen to constitute this panel.”

The Chairman of the Panel, Mr. Momodu Samateh, appreciated the honor bestowed on the panelists with admiration of their experience and knowledge in the execution of the task that liesahead.  He went to say the team is expected to do a good job that could that be used on the management of other public-private enterprises in the country.

Mr. Samateh committed that they would dedicate time to the assignment, and would be fair in the execution of task so that the nation can move forward. “It is a part of nation building. We are not doing this job for the president. We are doing it for ourselves, for posterity and for all Gambians,” he added.

Other members of the Panel are equally experts and respectable members of society: former Minister of Higher Education, Mr. Crispin Grey-Johnson, Hon. Alieu Ngum, Mrs. Nelly Taylor and Alhaji Tamu Njie and Nyallo Barrow.

BANJUL–The staff of Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation (SSHFC) have on Tuesday locked the main gate to their Head Office in protest against the suspension of Momodou Camara, a representative of the staff association.

The angry staff have reportedly stormed the Head Office at 4:AM to lock the place until the suspension of their colleague is revoked. It is said that 271 staff signed the petition out of 341 for the removal of their Managing Director, Muhammed Manjang.

“We want the authorities to revoke the suspension of our staff rep, Momodou Camara. He is not the accused, it is MD Manjang who is the accused person here,” Kebba Touray, Assistant Funds Manager of Pension Unit said.

Touray who was speaking on behalf of the staff accused the Corporation’s Managing Director of corruption, nepotism and favouritism amongst others. He expressed his dissatisfaction with the taskforce setup to look into the matter.

Meanwhile, the arrival of the Army Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) Lieutenant General Masanneh Kinteh, Police IGP Mamat Jobe and SIS Director General Ousman Sowe brought about some new development.

CDS Kinteh first addressed the angry staff gathered at the main entrance to the Head Office. He advised a calm, peaceful and responsible behaviour towards the problem. He asked them to go inside their offices to have a dialogue which they agreed to.

“Where your rights stops is where another person’s rights begins. We have our families, wives, husbands, sons and daughters in this country. Our future is in this country,” CDS Kinteh told the angry staff.

The Army Chief reminded them about the countries that went to wars such as Liberia, Sierra Leone and Rwanda which he said nobody should pray for the Gambia to experience.

Thereafter, the security chiefs and some selected staff had a closed door meeting inside the SSHFC Building. They reached an understanding after hours of strike.

The Security chiefs promised to work on the demands of the staff in the soonest possible time in the interest of peace, stability and justice but could not guarantee whether all the demands will be met.

Following leaked transactions of a deposit of $752, 594.42 into the accounts of The Fatoumata Bah Barrow Foundation by TBEA Co., Ltd, a Chinese manufacturer of power transformers and a developer of transmission projects, Gambians both at home and abroad are demanding for investigations into the matter.

The transaction was made on December 18, 2017, into the Guaranty Trust bank account (GT Bank) of The First Lady Fatoumata Bah Barrow Foundation. On the same day The foundation made a bank transfer of $746,211.13 to White Airways, a Portuguese charter airline headquartered in Porto Salvo, Oeiras. The purpose of the transfer according to the telex report was to hire a flight to China where the money originated from.

Whether that was the flight that took President Barrow and his delegation to China on Tuesday, December 19, 2017 a day after the transfer was made to White Airways is the question on the lips of many.

It could be recalled that President Barrow visited China on December 19-26 2017 as special guest of Chinese President, Xi Jinping.

When contacted to shed light on the issue, the acting CEO of The Fatoumata Bah Barrow Foundation, Fatou Ceesay told The Fatu Network that the issue is being investigated at board level.

‘Well, first we do not know how the money was transferred into our accounts but we are investigating the matter at board level’. Fatou Ceesay told The Fatu Network.

An observer wondered how such a thing could happen. ‘

‘First they don’t know how the money got into their account then why did they make the $742,211.13 transfer?” He asked.

Through our investigations, The Fatu Network gathered that The Gambia Government through the Ministry of Energy and The National Water & Electricity Comapany (NAWEC) are on the verge of giving the transmission and distribution project of the country to TBEA Company Ltd, the company that put $752,594.42 into the bank account of The First Lady’s Foundation.

‘We are at the final stages of scrutinizing the project proposal sent to us by TBEA, Company LTD to make sure everything is fine before they are awarded the contract’. An official at the ministry of Energy told The Fatu Network. The official added that once awarded the contract, TBEA will work on the transmission and distribution networks for Soma to Basse and the north bank region including Laminkoto and the Diabugu area.

The project is funded by the world bank, the European Union and The Chinese Government.

The Ministry of Energy received proposals from TBEA and Power China but the latter is said to be more specialized in power generation meaning the contract is likely to go to TBEA Company Ltd.

An internet search led us to an article by Eurasianet in Kyrgyzstan where the same company, TBEA, previously known as Tebian Electric Apparatus was contracted to build the Datka-Kemin high-voltage power line, which joined power grids in the north and south of Kyrgyzstan in 2015. According to the article, out of seven legislators, only one was apposed to the deal in 2013. He was quoted as saying that the rest of the legislators were bribed.

“This was a scam from the get-go. This company worked the MPs, brought them over to China. Our MPs went there, toured Hong Kong, stayed in five-star hotels, received presents,” Abdyrakhmanov said. “Anywhere else in the world you would call this bribery.

https://eurasianet.org/s/kyrgyzstan-power-plant-blame-game-threatens-political-showdown

Reacting to the story, Banka Manneh, a Gambian based in The US said:

‘This report about the Fatou Bah Barrow Foundation is part of a pattern of abuse of power currently underway in The Gambia, and this is a very disturbing development. President Barrow must act swiftly to reign in his friends and associates both in and outside government – we cannot afford these daily barrage of bad news regarding misbehaviors, that are to a large extent criminal, by these elements. But then again, who knows – maybe he is privy to all of them.”

Meanwhile, Gambians are eargerly waiting for the foundation to complete its investigations so as to answer the questions on the minds of many.

The Fatu Network has been reliably informed that The Gambia Government has issued a mining license to Gambia Angola China (GACH) Mining Company to export the heavy mineral concentrated sand locally called “black sand” from the country.

The Managing Director of GACH Group, Alhagie Sillah has confirmed that the acquisition of a mining license for black sand at Sanyang, Kartong and Batokunku respectively, saying that the company is 100% Gambian owned.

Sillah who was a former Banjul parliamentarian told The Fatu Network that the GACH Group is owned by a Gambian businessman, Abubakary Jawara who is serving as the country’s Consular General to the Republic of China since 2006.

“We have followed the due process to acquire the mining license from the Geology Department in 2017,” MD Sillah said.

“We went through all the procedures at the Ministries of Justice, Finance, Petroleum, Geology Department and Private Public Partnership,” he added.

The GACH Managing Director told The Fatu Network that the company is the first ever Gambian mineral mining company since 1926. He spoke about the Group’s target to create 2, 000 jobs, build local capacity, technology transfer and value addition amongst others within two years.

MD Sillah explained that the Company was the highest bidder to sell the stockpiles of mineral sand confiscated by the state at the seaport.

“We offered $200 US Dollars per Metric Tonne, out of which 60% goes to the state after all the expenditures,” he said.

When asked about the equipment belonging to other companies left at the mining site, he said they would not touch them but will bring their own equipment.

“We are bringing digital dredging machines worth of $1. 5 Million US Dollars”

It could be recalled that mining activities at Sanyang and Batokunku were major concern to many Gambians during the dictatorial regime of the former President Jammeh who connived with foreign counterparts to exploit the country’s resources with impunity.

President Barrow during his recent interviewed with The Fatu Network, has confirmed the signing of contract with a Gambian mining company but did not disclosed the Company’s name, saying he has forgotten it.

The Director of Geology Department, Mr Abdoulie M Cham has confirmed the granting of license to GACH Mining Company.

Meanwhile, the Gambian mineral mining company is working with Chinese business partners to export the black sand to China.

Security sources say The Norwegian Paedophile, Mr. Svein Age Sandaker who was pardoned last week by President Adama Barrow among other prisoners is currently detained by the Gambia immigration department at its training school in Tanji.

‘The immigration department has done what is required of them by detaining a man who should not have been pardoned’ A soure told The Fatu Network

As we file this report, Mr. Sandaker is still detained at the immigration training school and Plans are in high gear to move him back to mile 2 hopefully this evening.

We will keep you posted!

A massive car explosion has Monday afternoon occurred at Westfield by former co-operative a few hours ago.

Fortunately no one was injured

The Driver Landing Jammeh said he has no idea what caused the explosion.

‘ All I saw was smoke igniting from the car, then I immediately rushed out of the car and called the fire services’

I am learning with utter dismay reports circulating on social media that I recommended to the President for the exercise of his prerogative of mercy on one Norwegian citizen convicted of child abuse in The Gambia.

I want to make clear that I was not aware of this matter neither did I make any such recommendation to the President. In fact, I am currently out of the country on the hajj in Saudi Arabia. This matter was not brought to my attention for advice and I have consistently taken a hard line position on homicide and sexual offences convicts as reflected in all previous pardons in which I have participated as a member of the Prerogative of Mercy Committee which also includes the Honourable Minister of Interior, the Inspector General of Police and a religious leader.

I therefore reiterate that I was not involved in any decision to recommend for pardon the said Norwegian citizen contrary to reports that I made the recommendation. Upon my return from the hajj, I will get to the bottom of this matter and find out how the MOJ came to be associated with the purported conflicting statements released on our twitter page.

Meanwhile, it is also disheartening to note that some people see this incident as an opportunity to attempt to further tarnish my reputation by associating this incident with a previous one involving my brother last year. I want to state that I am not my brother and I am not responsible for my brother’s actions as a private legal practitioner. I would like to be judged on my actions alone regarding my professional conduct and not constantly get associated with the actions of my brother who is a private legal practitioner.

I will not allow anyone with any kind of agenda whatsoever to distract me from my objective of establishing strong foundations for democratic practice, respect for human rights and upholding the rule of law in our country. The challenge is hard enough without the pettiness and personal attacks from some quarters albeit limited.

Aboubacar Ba Tambadou