By Bernice Ndeckey

A visually challenged old widow, Ma Nyima Sanyang, appeals for support after she and her family lost most of their belongings to a fire outbreak on 14th April 2024.

“I don’t even have a place to stay. My grandchildren too are all with my neighbours. Most of our clothes and all our beds are burnt. If anyone (government, philanthropist, individuals) comes to our aid, it will go a long way in our recovery process and return to our house. I am too old to be in another person’s house, causing inconvenience to them,” she appealed.

The visually challenged old widow described it as “unfortunate” for a poor family like hers to go through such a distressful situation in two years.

A daughter-in-law in the family, Fatoumatta Jambang, who was present at the time, narrated how the incident started on 14th April 2024 at around 4 p.m., while the victim was in her bedroom.

“The neighbours saw smoke ascending from the rooftop, and they came to inform us. After a few minutes, the fire started in Ma Nyima’s room. She was moved to another room, but the fire spread to that room. The trend continued throughout the lined house and even at the other building,” she recollected.

Jambang disclosed that a lot of valuables were lost to the fire. The valuables range from cash, refrigerators, clothes, wardrobes, beds, and mattresses, among other things that remained unaccounted for.

Narrating the degree of the perceived mysterious fire, another witness said, “the trend continued throughout the whole building until the old woman was finally taken to a house nearby”.

History repeated itself in Brikama Sanyang Kunda after the victim’s family experienced the same incident in February 2023. The cause of the fire remained unknown at the time of going to press.

Donating to the family either in cash or kind would go a long way in enabling the affected family to replace the lost items and facilitate their return to their house.

Interested persons can reach out to the family for support on 3539894 / 7332154 / 9802205.

By: Mama A. Touray

Following his request for the commission to grant him one week to provide evidence of the D23 million withdrawal he made, Lamin Suso sought an additional one month from the Local Government Commission of Inquiry to provide evidence of the said withdrawal, which was rejected by the commission.

Lamin Suso had initially asked for a week to provide evidence of the D23,381,286.53 withdrawal he made from the BAC accounts, which was granted. However, on his second appearance, Suso made another request, this time asking for one month.

“Madam Chair, I am requesting a one-month extension to provide evidence of the D23 million Dalasi withdrawal,” he said. Chairperson Jainaba Bah responded, “Sorry, Mr. Suso, we cannot grant more than 10 days.”

The Commission rejected the request and instructed him to obtain the documents.

Chairperson Bah further advised him, “You simply need to retrieve the documents and bring them. If you encounter any difficulties, just inform us, and we will take appropriate action.”

Bah also instructed the former Finance Manager to obtain the documents and reconcile with the Commission’s investigators.

Some of the withdrawals made by Suso on May 30, 2018, included amounts of over D146,000, D150,000, D70,000, and D3,000. On August 9, 2018, Lamin Suso withdrew D600,000 and D300,000. On September 10, 2018, he withdrew D200,000, and on September 15, 2018, he withdrew D100,000. On November 9, 2018, he withdrew D100,000, D400,000, and D200,000. On December 4, 2018, he withdrew D300,000. On January 2, 2019, he withdrew D600,000.

The Commission noted that sometimes he would withdraw large sums of money in a single day without explanation.

Lamin Suso testified that the money was used for office transactions but could not provide the evidence requested.

Lead Counsel Patrick Gomez asked Suso about the procedure for withdrawing money from the council’s account, and Suso said he collects cheques to make the withdrawals.

Counsel Gomez further inquired, “Where in the Financial Manual is it stated that a CEO or a Finance Director can sign cheques on behalf of council staff without following any process?” Suso responded, “I don’t see it stated anywhere in the manual.”

When asked if their actions were justified, Suso stated that the CEO and Finance Director are responsible for signing and issuing cheques.

Suso emphasized that it is unlawful to withdraw money contrary to the financial manual.

Lamin Suso had previously testified regarding the misappropriation of Council funds before the Commission during the institutional hearing on the Basse Area Council. He is currently under questioning regarding his time at the Brikama Area Council from May 2018 to February 2021.

By: Mama A. Touray

The Brikama Area Council’s revenue collector for Madiana, Youna, and Brufut Heights, Alieu Sonko, testified on Tuesday about his 2020 and 2021 cash books. He admitted to giving collected council funds to the Finance director.

Alieu was given his 2020 cash book to check and show the commission the entries for that period. When asked why he altered the months and dates in his cash book for February and April 2020 and to also explain the whereabouts of the deposit slip and GTRs for these entries, he denied tampering with the records. “No, I did not change the months and dates,” he claimed.

After being given back his cash book to verify, Sonko admitted that he had changed the months in the cash book to bring forward the amounts and was quick to acknowledge that what he did was a mistake. Counsel Gomez pointed out that these changes were fraudulent, especially since Sonko had been audited internally.

Sonko agreed with Gomez, admitting that the changes were not related to audit queries. When questioned about why he changed the months, he explained that it was to capture the balance he brought forward. However, Gomez challenged this idea, stating that bringing forward entries made no sense.

Sonko claimed to have bank deposits and provided some slips but said others were with the Director of Finance. He was instructed on what to do before those copies would be admitted.

Further questioning revealed faults in Sonko’s cash book recordings, to which he admitted. He couldn’t explain many of the discrepancies or provide deposit slips or receipts to support his claims.

Sonko went through BAC bank statements but couldn’t find deposits he claimed to have made. He then changed his statement, saying the money was with the Director of Finance, which contradicted his earlier testimony.

Chairperson Jainaba Bah discovered that Sonko had removed pages from his 2021 cash book. Sonko admitted to this but claimed it was only one page.

Lead Counsel Patrick Gomez informed Sonko that the Commission had analyzed his cash book for 2020 and found discrepancies where what he collected did not reflect in the bank.

By Mama A. Touray

The Gambia Armed Forces (GAF) has refuted claims of political interference and tribal favouritism in the promotion of its military officials, as alleged by a recent Open Gambia publication. 

The Gambia Armed Forces, in a statement, indicated that the article published by Open Gambia on Sunday, authored by “ANON,” accused the GAF of political interference and tribal favouritism in the promotion of military officers to the rank of Colonel from among a group of senior officers.

Open Gambia reported that the Chief of Defence Staff, the Director of SIS, and Deputy Speaker Seedy SK Njie are alleged to have conspired to appoint Non-Jola and Mandinka officials, deemed loyal to their political interests, to positions within the armed forces. This move is said to be in preparation for the withdrawal of ECOMIG troops following the completion of their mandate based on the TRRC recommendations.

The GAF press statement clarified that ten vacant positions within its ranks were to be filled by senior officers at the Colonel level, and a request was submitted to the Ministry of Defence which was approved.

It further explained that after the executive approval, CDS Cham constituted a committee to nominate officers eligible to fill the positions with specific terms of reference in line with the security sector reform and transformation of the institution since the dawn of the new political dispensation.

“Therefore, after a comprehensive and exhaustive process by the Board, the Defence Headquarters, Gambia Armed Forces submitted a list of senior officers that were eligible for promotion to the rank of Colonel to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) for onward transmission and approval of the President and C-in-C,” the release stated.

The GAF High Command stated that there was no interference, be it on political or ethnic lines in the process leading to or after the selection of the senior Officers for promotion as alleged by the Open Gambia report.

The release further stated that “the respective Commands of GAF have consistently constituted Promotional Examination (PROMEX) Boards to oversee the promotion of Officers who are due for elevation to the next rank. No CDS has ever interfered either directly or indirectly with the deliberations and outcomes leading to the recommendations of the Boards that were convened under his directives”.

GAF emphasized that it does not have a policy that classifies any of its personnel along ethnic, religious or partisan lines.

“Our doors have always been opened for clarification and we are more than willing to provide further undisputable facts on this matter. To this end, GAF craves the indulgence of all patriotic Gambians to continue to insulate this national institution and its members from ethnic sentiments and politics – a commitment it has resolutely made since 2017 to date.”

By: Dawda Baldeh

Members of the REFELA Gambia Chapter have commenced a two-day retreat on project management, implementation, and evaluation to enhance the success of the projects.

This retreat, currently underway at the Banjul City Council, aims to build the capacity of all REFELA members to assist in project management, implementation, and evaluation.

Isatou Njie, the National Coordinator for the REFELA Gambia Chapter, stated that this retreat is among many initiatives geared toward improving the capacity of its members so they can acquire the necessary skills and knowledge to manage projects effectively.

“We want the youths to be equipped with meaningful skills to become job creators,” she noted.

Mr. Gaye, the Deputy Mayor of BCC, said REFELA is a game-changer primarily focused on helping young people.

He added that REFELA, under the leadership of BCC Mayor Rohey Malick Lowe, is transforming the lives of young Banjulians.

“This is a significant project, and I encourage you all to continue the hard work to ensure the success of all projects,” he said.

Meanwhile, Modou Jonga, the CEO of BCC, underscored the importance of REFELA in helping to mitigate the rising rate of unemployment.

He mentioned that BCC is proud to be associated with such a project and that the two-day training is timely as the project has already started deploying beneficiaries.

“Take ownership of this project and initiate peer-to-peer learning and support each other,” he reiterated.

By: Mama A. Touray

Testifying before the ongoing Local Government Commission of Inquiry on Monday, Alieu Sonko, revenue collector at Brikama Area Council, stated that the Finance Director of Brikama Area Council instructed him not to record D224,000 of council funds he had collected in the cash book.

Sonko admitted that he did not go to the internal audit unit of the council for reconciliation due to the instructions from the Director of Finance.

In his explanation, witness Alieu Sonko said he was instructed by the Director of Finance of BAC not to record the amount in his cash book and denied the allegation that it was a suppression of the revenue collected, adding that “It was the blunder of the Director of Finance.”

Sonko, who collects revenue from Madiana, Youna, and Brufut Heights, informed the commission that the amount was D212,000 instead of D224,000 as queried by the Internal Audit Unit of the council.

Explaining what he meant by “blunder of the Director of Finance,” he said the problem lay with the Director of Finance, and Gomez reminded him of the duties and responsibilities of revenue collectors based on the provisions of the law.

Collector Sonko said he did reconciliation with the investigators of the Commission instead of D224,000, and it was discovered that it was D212,000 not accounted for.

Counsel Gomez asked, “You have accepted D212,000 cash withholding?” and he replied, “It is not withholding. It is the blunder of the Director of Finance who asked us not to put it in the cash book.”

Sonko testified that his reason for not going to the internal unit for reconciliation was due to the instructions from his line manager (Dembo Bojang), who is now the Chief of Kombo Central, that he should do reconciliation at the IT Unit instead of the Internal Audit Unit.

At this point, Gomez told him, “Would you agree that the money was not in the bank?” and he admitted, “Yes.”

When asked to explain what happened to the money, he said, “Yes, these monies, most of them were given to the Director of Finance Alagie Jeng, and the Principal Cashier Lamin K. Kanteh would issue me receipts.

Sonko said he assumed that after paying the money to the names mentioned above, they would have deposited the money in the bank. “I assumed they deposited the money in the bank.”

The witness will appear today to continue his testimony on his cash books.

By Mama A. Touray

The former finance manager of Brikama Area Council, Lamin Suso, continued his testimony before the ongoing Local Government Commission of Inquiry, focusing on the D1.6 million auction transaction flagged by auditors as problematic.

Suso, who was the cashier of the auction committee, addressed the findings of the Principal Auditor, Sulayman Barry, who conducted a systems audit on the council’s auction transactions. The audit report highlighted that Suso had retained D103,000 personally, while D1.6 million remained unaccounted for.

Disputing these findings, Suso stated, “That’s not true,” asserting that he possesses evidence contradicting the audit report. He acknowledged discrepancies in his initial statement, admitting that he did not have access to the report at the time. He said, “Yes, that is correct, the statement was wrong at the time. I did not see the report that time.”

Regarding the payment details, Suso explained that on January 25, 2020, he received D15,000, D50,000, and D40,000, followed by D100,000 on January 27, and another D100,000 on January 28. He claimed to have deposited D760,000 on January 28 and D40,000 on January 31, totaling D1,000,000.

However, when questioned about the remaining balance, Suso acknowledged a shortfall of D229,000 and admitted his inability to trace it through the deposits. He mentioned missing bank deposit slips and the absence of the committee’s report.

Despite claiming receipts totaling D702,450 on January 26, Suso struggled to reconcile the discrepancies between his reported receipts and deposited amounts, admitting a lack of evidence regarding the deposited monies.

Lead Counsel Gomez pressed Suso on the absence of evidence supporting his deposits, to which Suso agreed, acknowledging the gaps in his report regarding the money’s whereabouts. He said, “Counsel, I don’t have it.”

By: Dawda Baldeh

President Adama Barrow of The Gambia has addressed journalists on the country’s preparedness to host the upcoming Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit, scheduled to take place in Banjul from May 4th to 5th, 2024.

President Barrow urged Gambians to demonstrate to the world that their country is the most peaceful in Africa and emphasized the economic and international recognition benefits that hosting the summit will bring.

President Barrow highlighted the importance of security during the summit and stated that over four hundred security personnel will be deployed to ensure a safe environment.

He clarified that while the attendance of heads of state is not the main focus, the summit expects fifty-seven heads of state and high-powered delegates to participate.

During the summit, President Barrow intends to discuss bilateral relations with other heads of state.

He emphasized that hosting the summit presents an opportunity for Gambians to showcase the country’s positive image.

President Barrow also mentioned that significant developments, including peace and stability, have been achieved in the country, without specifying any infrastructure projects.

The Gambian leader assured journalists that there are sufficient beds and standard rooms available to accommodate all the dignitaries from the fifty-seven member states attending the OIC summit.

He stated that the completion of all OIC projects is a matter of time and expressed confidence in their high quality and lasting impact.

President Barrow addressed questions regarding the Radisson Blue Hotel, which was planned to be constructed but faced obstacles.

He expressed disappointment that the project did not materialize due to various factors, including documentation and legal issues.

The construction of the hotel was estimated to cost over a hundred million dollars.

In conclusion, President Barrow reiterated the significance of hosting the OIC summit for The Gambia and emphasized the country’s readiness to welcome delegates from around the world.

As part of its outreach programme to meet key stakeholders, the Newspaper Publishers Association (NePA) on Friday held a meeting with President Adama Barrow at State House.

The meeting came months after the umbrella body of newspapers requested to meet the president to formally introduce NePA and highlight to him issues affecting the operations of the industry such as government policy, media laws, taxation, importation of printing materials, and advertisements among others.

The delegation, comprising representatives from The Point, Foroyaa, The Standard and The Voice was led by NePA president Pap Saine who thanked the president and government for the political and personal goodwill in ensuring tolerance for the media since assuming office in 2017. He said this is evidenced by the good ranking the country currently enjoys in the freedom of press index worldwide. Mr Saine reminded the president that the media is a partner to government and not its enemy and it is important that the two interface to foster greater cooperation.

He dwelled on some of the bottlenecks faced by the media in terms accessing information from public officials as well as the need for government to consider granting subventions to the media as it is the case in other democratic nations.

Sam Sarr of Foroyaa reminded the president that though there has been tremendous improvement in freedom of the media, access to information and the existence of anti-media laws in the constitution remain concerns. He said the media wants to rely on the law rather than on the good will of the president or government.

Lamin Cham of The Standard expressed appreciation to the president for the meeting and spoke of the need for government officials including the president to be more available for media interviews and for the government to be proactive in providing real time clarifications when matters of public interest arose.

He noted that government needs to put in place a robust strategy to provide timely reactions to issues and take the lead in controlling communications of government programmes.

President Barrow expressed his delight at receiving the delegation and spoke of the importance of the interface between the media and the government and assured that he will remain tolerant and accessible and has no intention of using draconian law against the media at any time. He said his government has made numerous progressive legislative changes and will continue to do so in order to ensure that good practice is embed in the country’s laws and this include media laws.

The president said the media should take its role in projecting positivity for the overall development and interest of the country. He said tremendous infrastructural developments are happening everywhere and there is little excuse that these are not highlighted in media reports.

Both sides noted that the meeting was a great opportunity to foster understanding and remove misconceptions.

Others at the meeting included Musa Sheriff publisher and editor of The Voice and Pa Salla Jeng general manager of The Standard and Baba Hydara co-publisher of The Point. The chief of staff at the Office of the President, Mod Ceesay, and the director of press public relations at the president’s office, Amie Bojang-Sisshoho also attended the meeting.