By Mama A. Touray

The Ministry of Transport, Works, and Infrastructure has issued a press release denying allegations made in a social media post that a consultant involved with the OIC project has exposed corruption within the Barrow administration.

The release stated that the Ministry’s attention had been drawn to a social media story titled “A consultant with the Saudi fund for development, the OIC road project has blown the whistle on President Barrow’s administration’s corruption”.

Reacting to this story, the ministry described the story as “totally false, gravely malicious and intentionally fabricated to disinform the public.”

The Trade Ministry said under the Loan Agreement, all the funds meant for the construction of the OIC 50km roads project are directly managed by the funder, the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and not The Gambia Government.

It further stated that the ministry and NRA (its implementing agency) are only responsible for the implementation and supervision of the actual contract works. At the same time, the Ministry of Finance acts as the liaison between the Saudi Fund and the contractors and consultants and facilitates the payment of their Interim Payment Certificates (IPCs) by the Fund.

“As such, payment certificates are procedurally raised by contractors against works done which are thoroughly examined by the International Consultants of the project and re-examined and validated by the NRA before they are sent to the Ministry of Finance for onward transmission to the Saudi Fund for payment directly into the contractors’ bank accounts” the press statement reads.

The release further explained that neither the Ministries of Works and Finance nor the NRA handles or manages the funds meant for the payment of the Contractors or Consultants. Rather, the Saudi Fund, under the Loan Agreement, directly pays the Contractors and Consultants into their designated bank accounts.

Meanwhile, the ministry also confirmed compensation for the affected property owners where the project is being implemented, and the payments are ongoing.

“Contrary to the false claims by Open Gambia Platform that the Saudi Fund’s allocation for this activity has been squandered, the Ministry of Transport, Works and Infrastructure wishes to clarify that it is The Gambia Government that is entirely responsible for the payment of compensation of properties and not the Saudi Fund”.
The Ministry said no compensation is physically handled by either the Ministry of Works or the NRA, adding that when properties are valued and cost by the designated experts at the Ministry of Lands, the reports are sent to the NRA which raises payment certificates of the costed properties and forward them to the Ministry of Finance for payment directly into the personal bank accounts of the affected property owners.

“The Ministry of Transport, Works and Infrastructure hopes that with the above clarification, Open Gambia Platform will be honest and professional enough not only to carry this rejoinder but to equally distribute it to all platforms it published its erroneous and distasteful story on” the release ends.

By: Alieu Jallow

Counsel Ida Drammeh, the defense counsel for the six presidential advisers whose appointments are legally contested by the UDP and its member Ebrima Dibba, filed at the Supreme Court. She questioned UDP and KMC nominated youth councillor Kemo Bojang on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI). The question arose following the submission of video evidence that the witness presented during his testimony on the six Presidential advisers.

“Do you know that AI can put an exact message as if it’s from a person when it’s not?”

“Not to my knowledge,” Kemo responded.

According to PW 1 (Kemo Bojang), the videos he presented were screen-recorded on his iPad from a few social media platforms. These screen-recorded videos did not sit well with the defense counsel, who then questioned the witness’s understanding of Facebook’s inability to authenticate content posted on its platform, an assertion that the witness disagreed with.

During his testimony, the KMC nominated councillor asserted that one of the presidential advisers was elected National President for life, an assertion that counsel Drammeh challenged by asking the witness if it is correct that the IEC would not allow a person to hold a position for life—a question the witness was not well prepared to answer.

The dates of appointment for these contested Presidential advisers were another area that the defense counsel addressed with the witness, along with their terms of reference. At this point, the witness couldn’t specify the exact dates of their appointment.

“I am putting to you that Mr. Sulayman Camara was appointed on 23rd January 2023 by the President,” Counsel Drammeh asked.

“I don’t know the date or who appointed him,” Mr Bojang replied. At this point, counsel Ida Drammeh informed the witness that his appointment was made on a pro bono basis, a statement that the witness acknowledged.

Counsel Drammeh asserted that the witness knew little, a statement that the witness disagreed with.

“Until that congress, UDP Constitution has accepted what they are challenging today,” Counsel Drammeh asked.

“I don’t know,” Mr. Bojang replied.

During his testimony, Mr. Bojang exhibited a video of the GDDP congress. The defense counsel then questioned the witness, asserting that he never attended the GDDP and NPP Congress, to which the witness responded positively.

“Is it correct that when Dembo By-Force was speaking in an interview, it was all emotional and not the reality on the ground?” Counsel Drammeh asked.

“That hasn’t happened, but they lost the election. He was trying to portray something. He was speaking for his political party to win,” Kemo replied.

Counsel Ida Drammeh argued that the witness extracted some portion of the video of Dembo By-Force from social media, a submission that the witness stressed by mentioning that he downloaded the full video, which lasted for 18 minutes, from the Fatu.

By Alieu Jallow

After two years and five months of detention without trial, a juvenile who was arrested on murder charges has been granted bail of D500,000 by the High Court.

The applicant was arrested on the charges of murder and remanded in custody by the Brikama Magistrates Court on 16th September 2021 and the case was transferred to the High Court for trial on the indictment.

Defence counsel for the applicant Counsel O Susso submitted that the applicant spending over 2 years and 5 months at Mile 2 Central prison without trial is a total violation of his rights to be tried within the reasonable time as envisaged under section 25 of the 1997 Constitution.

Counsel Susso argued that the respondent had not adduced sufficient reasons that justify the continuous detention for over 2 years without trial. Counsel Susso argued for the court to grant prayers and award the applicant D1 000 000.

The presiding Judge relied on section 24 (3)(a) of the 1997 Constitution that states an accused person is presumed innocence until proven guilty and section 211 and 212 of the Children’s act 2005. It is thus in this condition that the presiding Judge exercise his discretion to favour the applicant by granting him bail on the following conditions:

1. Bail is granted to the applicant (name withheld) in the sum of D500,000 2. That the applicant must provide one Gambian surety and depose to an affidavit of mean in like sum.3. That the surety shall deposit with the principal registrar of the High Court the original tittle deed or free hold property in respect of his or her said property together with a valuation report on the property issued by an officer from the lands department or any government recognised estate valuer on a date not earlier than the date of this order. 4. The Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) is to file formal charges against the applicant at the Children’s Court within three months of this order. 5. That the failure of the DPP to file any charge(s) against the applicant from the date of this order, the bail of the applicant shall elapse and be discharged from the Mile 2 remand with or without surety.

By Mama A. Touray

Kebba Sanna Jatta, another revenue collector at the Brikama Area Council, has confessed to spending council funds for personal family use while testifying before the ongoing Local Government Commission of Inquiry.

During an examination by the commission, Jatta, a property collector, admitted to not depositing a collection of D8,000 into BAC’s bank accounts, which was inquired about due to some shortages in his submissions.

Explaining how he ended up not depositing the said amount, Jatta told the commission: “It did not happen in a day. It happened when I had shortages of D100, D200 and D500 on different days.”

Counsel Patrick Gomez asked why he would have a shortage and he responded “I used the money for my family issues. I know that it is not normal.”

Gomez further reminded him that he receives a salary, to which Jatta replied: “Anyway, I know it is not normal, sometimes we submit the money in the bank, and we do not reconcile with the Internal Audit Unit”.

Jatta was asked to provide a list of his November 2022 collections from his cash book. However, he only reported D10,000. Counsel Gomez informed him that there was no record of his collections for November 2022.

Gomez told him that he had no record for August, September, and October 2022 in his cash book and admitted that he did not record the collections in the cash book.

Chairperson Bah inquired why the witness had not recorded the information in his cash book. After a brief silence, the witness admitted that he was unfamiliar with the operation of the revenue collection device. However, he was informed that this was not a sufficient reason to neglect to record his collections in the cash book.

When further questioned why he does not record collections from February to December 2022, Jatta responded that “during this time, [his] cash book was misplaced by the auditor and the Finance Director when the auditors requested his cash book.”

Counsel Gomez told Jatta that he collected D30,000 in July 2022 but did not deposit it. However, Jatta replied that he could remember the said amount.

Deputy Chairperson Bah informed Jatta about alterations in the dates on the receipts. When questioned, the witness stated he did not recall the details.

The Commission observed that some deposits lacked corresponding receipts from the Council. Jatta explained that occasionally, the cashier fails to issue receipts.

When asked about the work of the Value Property Unit, the Jatta said the unit is part of the Finance Unit of the council and that they collect revenue from taxable properties. He added that the properties pay D2,000 for residential properties and D5,000 for commercial properties.

Kebba Sanna Jatta began his career at the Brikama Area Council in 1994/95 and had previously served as a car park attendant, collecting tax from commercial vehicles at Senegambia for about 6 years.

By: Mama A. Touray

Foday Krubally, a senior revenue collector at the Brikama Area Council, admitted on Tuesday before the ongoing Local Government Commission of Inquiry that he had misused over D56,000 of council funds. Krubally made this admission after presenting his cash book covering the period from 2020 to 2024 to the commission.

When questioned about an audit finding regarding D41,000 that he had collected but not deposited into the accounts of the Brikama Area Council, Krubally admitted to the audit query, stating, “It is difficult to be honest with money. I acknowledge that I collected it and definitely misused it.”

He informed the commission that he had repaid the said amount after the audit query. When asked how he paid the sum, he mentioned taking a loan from a credit union and repaying the money while the credit union recovers the amount from his monthly salary.

Regarding another audit query of D21,000, Krubally clarified that the actual amount was D15,000 instead of D21,000 as claimed by the auditors. He acknowledged not paying the money but promised to do so, stating, “Very soon.”

Chairperson Jainaba Bah intervened at this point and instructed the witness to make the payment into the council’s account by Thursday, March 28, 2024, and provide evidence to the commission.

Krubally also admitted that he did not participate in weekly reconciliations at the Internal Audit Unit of the Council. When asked why, he explained, “Sometimes unexpected problems arise, and you end up using the money.”

He was further questioned about the lodgment register of revenue collectors, which indicated absences from weekly reconciliation. Krubally admitted to collecting the amounts mentioned but not depositing them.

Counsel Gomez pointed out the numerous instances of failure to submit to the Internal Audit Unit and asked, “How easy is it to collect revenue and use it for personal affairs?”

“I used the money without informing anyone. I blame myself for that and need to rectify my actions,” Krubally replied.

Additionally, Krubally mentioned that his 2018 cash book was submitted to the Internal Audit Unit for auditing, but he still does not have access to it. He stated that this occurred in 2020 and the book was given to Lamin Drammeh. Krubally’s responsibilities include collecting revenue from valued properties, and in 2018, he was posted in Kerr Sering for this purpose.

By Mama A. Touray

The acting value property manager of the Brikama Area Council, Mustapha Joof, on Monday, denied allegations of suppressing council funds when he was a revenue collector.

It was noted from the Council’s internal audit unit in 2020 that Mustapha Joof suppressed the council fund amounting to D248,421.89.

Reacting to this audit finding before the ongoing Local Government Commission of Inquiry, Mustapha said: “I disputed this [allegedly suppressing council funds] because I don’t condone cash suppression”.

He added that this money was audited by the internal auditors and received by the principal cashier.

Upon being informed of the audit findings, he denied the allegations, stating that he had deposited his collections. However, the lodgement roll, a record of revenue collectors who come for weekly reconciliation at the Internal Audit Unit, showed that Joof does not attend these reconciliations.

Joof provided his cash book for 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 on valued properties. It was tendered and admitted in evidence. He was asked to provide the other cash book containing information about his collections after this period which he promised to bring.

He stated that he is a resident of Brikama Kabifita and that he started working at Brikama Area Council on 31st March 2009 as a revenue collector. His written statement dated 8th November 2023 was shown to him and he confirmed it to be the statement he gave the investigators. The statement was admitted in evidence by the Commission.

Joof said his unit is responsible for coordinating and supervising value property rates collectors to ensure that revenues are collected and deposited in the BAC accounts by collectors.

On his responsibility as the manager, he said he is responsible for ensuring that collectors bank all their revenue collections in the BAC accounts and do reconciliation every Thursday with the Internal Audit Unit by tendering their bank slips for verification.

In 2018, Joof said he was posted in Bijilo as a value property collected and he was promoted as the Acting Value Property Manager on 1st July 2021. He said he has fourteen (14) collectors under him.

By: Dawda Baldeh

Gambian business tycoon Hamidou Jah, the owner of Jah Oil Company Limited, has stated that investing in agriculture is the only solution to ongoing food shortages and unemployment in the country.

He unveiled plans for investing massively in modernizing agriculture across the country.

“The world is facing global challenges due to climate change, and the only way we can address food shortages is through going back to the farm,” he told journalists at his office in Brikama.

He said the population is growing rapidly while farming is declining.

Jah stressed that many places where rice cultivation used to take place are now occupied by people.

“India is the largest rice producer, but today, if you want to have enough rice, the government must intervene.

The rice cultivated in India is for business purposes, not for domestic consumption.

Each year, they cultivate eight million tons of rice, and all that rice is exported to different countries,” he narrated.

He told journalists that his vision is to have a farm in every part of the country to cultivate rice and other crops.

According to him, investing in farming will help the country feed itself and export to generate income.

“Even the unemployment we are all talking about can only be addressed through modern farming where young people will be employed.

The government cannot employ everyone, and if we take agriculture seriously, every Gambian will be employed, and we will not need to seek employees from outside,” he added.

The seasoned business tycoon revealed that he had previously toured many countries trying to explore means to import more basic food commodities to help fellow citizens acquire them at a more sustainable price, but the world is facing a similar problem.

He stressed that the lands in India are similar to those in The Gambia, and if we invest in farming, we can achieve what India is doing.

“If people work hard, I’m not saying rice won’t be imported into the country, but it will be reduced drastically, and the price will also reduce,” he reiterated.

He noted that rice is the main consumable food in The Gambia.

By Mama A. Touray

After the Commission observed that she conducts revenue collection without the standard procedure of submission and reconciliation within the council, revenue collector Jainaba Cham on Monday told the Local Government Commission that the device she uses for revenue collection at the Brikama Area Council is prone to errors, often entering incorrect figures.

Cham made this testimony when she was questioned about the cash book she provided to the commission, which covered her collection from 2021 to date for rates and taxes.

It was noted from the cash book that the witness does revenue collections without going for submission and reconciliation in the Council.

“You made collection between 28th September 2022 and 5th October 2022, but you did not go for submission and reconciliation,” Counsel Gomez told the witness.

She responded: “I see it. If I don’t have anything to submit, I don’t go for submission”.

Counsel Gomez replied: “But the amount is there. Remember, this was a time you were using the revenue collection devices, and the records are there for the collections you make”.

She replied that the revenue collection device she was using used to make mistakes and input figures that were wrong, and Gomez informed her that the machine would indicate the date, time and the person whom she made the collections from.

Cham admitted that the machines are difficult to use.

Chairperson Jainaba Cham also noted from the cash book provided by the witness that there were no collections in February, March, August, September, and October and asked Cham where the collections were.

Responding to this, Cham told the commission that she took her annual leave in February 2023 and left Dawda Njie, who was a valued property collector for the BAC to do collection on her behalf and deposit in the account in her name.

Chairperson Bah asked the witness the whereabouts of the money collected in February and March, and she responded that she did not know how that happened.

Jainaba Cham is a resident of Pipeline and a rates and taxes collector. The 55-year-old began working in the Council in 2001. She has been collecting revenue in Kerr Serign for nine (9) years.

On how she does her job, Jainaba Cham explained that she begins her job with an assessment, after which she issues invoices with a one-week payment deadline. She then starts the collection process.

Cham will appear before the commission once again to present her old cash book from 2018 to 2020 and to answer further questions related to the shortages discovered.

By: Alieu Jallow

Arona Tine, a Senegalese national who is the alleged killer of Fatoumatta Kargbo, a former staff member of HM bureau at West Field, appeared before Justice Ebrima Jaiteh of the Banjul High Court on Tuesday, 26th March 2024, to inform the court of his inability to secure legal representation in his murder charge battle.

Tine is charged with murder contrary to section 187 of the Criminal Procedure Code, Cap 10 Vol. 3 of the Revised Laws of The Gambia. In his ruling, Justice Jaiteh stated that the case could not proceed without a legal representative, as the charges levied against him are capital offences. Therefore, he ordered the state to provide him with a legal representative.

Arona Tine’s particular offense is that on or about 19th January 2024, at West Field in the Kanifing Municipality of The Gambia and within the jurisdiction of the High Court, he stabbed Fatoumatta Kargbo with a knife, causing her death and thereby committing an offense. Meanwhile, he will be remanded at Mile 2 Central Prison.

The case is adjourned to 22nd April at 1:30 PM for plea-taking.

By: Alieu Jallow

In the ongoing D11 million theft involving the three senior government officials of the Ministry of Health, PW 4 Muhammed Sissoko, a businessman, has acknowledged cashing cheques amounting to D95,000 from the late Lamin Jarju, Deputy Program Manager at the National Malaria Control Program.

Mr. Sissoko told the court that the Police Fraud Squad informed him that the five cheques received and cashed amounted to D95,000, which he was asked to repay. These transactions, according to him, happened between 2019 and 2022.

PW 4, in his testimony, recalled embarking on a trip to Basse with the late Lamin Jarju, where they made a brief stop at Sibanor Health Centre. He spent a minimum of 30 minutes on both occasions, and upon their return, he was given two cheques but cannot remember the dates when he cashed them out.

“I cashed both cheques on two different dates, and I was given D20,000 each from these cheques, with each of them worth D500,000,” Sissoko outlined.

In 2023, Mr. Sissoko told the court that he was invited by the Fraud Squad of the Gambia Police Force for questioning regarding the cheques he had withdrawn, where he affirmed to the police of withdrawing the cheques.

Accordingly, he said the investigation took time, but while with the Fraud Squad, he was shown documents indicating signing contracts, payment vouchers, and a copy of his CV. He was questioned whether he signed any contract with HEPDO, an assertion he opposed, noting he never signed any contract with the said institution.

Similarly, a CV bearing his details and payment vouchers indicating receipt were also tendered to him, something he opposed, stressing it was not his CV and he never signed any payment voucher.

Furthermore, he was shown a written report indicating he wrote that and submitted it, which he told the Fraud Squad he never did. At this point, he told the court that he didn’t study or know anything about malaria, so he had no idea about the report.

“I don’t know HEPDO and have never been to the place; it was at the police station I knew about them,” Sissoko stressed.

The case is adjourned to 15th April 2024 for cross-examination.

By: Dawda Baldeh

Influential Female Entrepreneurs in Gambia’s Capital, Banjul, have called on the country’s youths to acquire skills for them to gain economic freedom amidst unemployment as not everyone can be employed by the government. They were recently speaking to young people recruited by the Banjul City Council under the Youths Voluntarism Project to undergo various skills training programs within and outside the country.

Maimuna Jahateh, the Founder of ‘Maiyamuna Skin & Hair Care,’ acknowledged that the country has a lot of talented young people who only lack mentoring and motivation to realize their potential. In 2017, she started her Skin & Hair Dressing program after graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biotechnology in India. Fast-forward, ‘Maiyamuna Skin & Hair Care’ is now a household name inspiring many young people, especially females, to venture into skin and hair dressing programs.

The influential skin and hairdresser narrated that she abandoned her full-time employment to focus on her business, which is earning her more income today. “Entrepreneurship gives you freedom, and success is doing what you love,” she said, urging young people to embrace continuous learning to upgrade themselves to continue competing in the fast-growing market. “Don’t be afraid that many people are doing what you are doing; you can be different by doing things differently, and that will make you stand out,” she added.

Ida Saine, the founder of ‘Ida’s Idea,’ whose achievement cannot be substituted for anything in the Gambian business industry, emphasized the significance of skills in nation-building. With over three decades of doing business, Ida Saine was among the first Gambian women to sell African-made clothes in Europe. Her long-term dream of opening a professional fashion design school in the Gambia came to reality in 2018. Today, Ida Saine Conteh trains youths, especially girls, to have a profession using the skills through Ida’s Tailoring and Fashion School.

“Skill is very important, and if you learn it well, you cannot be unemployed,” she said, adding that Gambian youths should be encouraged to learn skills. They all share their personal stories to inspire and motivate the youths in pursuit of new opportunities such as skills training.