The former Governor of the Central Bank of The Gambia, Mr Amadou Colley has said that the former President Yahya Jammeh who ruled the country with an iron fist for the past 22 years does not reason like normal human being.
Governor Colley made these revelations at the commission of inquiry probing into the financial activities of the former President Yahya Jammeh and his close associates at the Djembe Beach Hotel, Kololi.
“We were dealing with a person who does not reason like normal human beings,” Former Governor Amadou Colley said.
Governor Colley who was summoned in respect of the opening of accounts by the Office of the former President at the Central Bank has admitted that the process should have been done by the Ministry of Finance and not the other way round. He confirmed the opening of the Sand Mining Account, the International Gateway Account and Special Project Vision 2016 Account all of which the former president was the sole signatory.
He further confirmed withdrawals made from these accounts by the former Secretary General Sabally, former Military General Saul Badjie, one Lt. General Nuha William Jammeh and Sana Jarju, former Chief of Protocol at the Office of the former President without any documentation.
“How could you allowed soldiers to withdraw $30 Million US Dollars without any signature of the signatory to the account,” Counsel Amie Bensouda asked.
Colley responded that he was not working in a normal situation under the former President Yahya Jammeh.
“I have not meet the president for 3 years,” Colley told the commission. “How would you know he was the one who authorized the withdrawals without his signatures,” Bensouda asked.
The former Central Bank Governor then explained the difficulties he encountered to an extent he wanted to resign but could not as a result of fear. He discussed it with the former Ministers of Finance Mambury Njie, Kebba Touray and Abdou Colley respectively. He added that they too lamented on their frustrations to him.
When the Chairman of the Commission, Surahata Janneh asked what were his fear to resign which he spoke of possible detention or disappearance and safety of his family.
Colley was further quizzed by Lawyer Bensouda about the withdrawals and payments made to soldiers at the Office of the former President.
Colley gave instances where protocol officers and soldiers from the Office of the former President would come to the Central Bank with information that they were directed by the former president to make withdrawals. He said that was the practice before he became the Governor. He said he could not provide evidence from the records.
“This is a fact finding commission and will not accept anything but facts,” Bensouda asserted.
The former Central Bank Governor made scores of revelations about the SMS text messages which he received from General Saul Badjie to withdraw monies under the directives of the former president. He also spoke about the telephone calls he received from Momodou Sabally, former Secretary General to make payments of millions without proper documentation. He said he made the payments with the believed that the proper documentation would be provided later.
Counsel Bensouda asked him about the policy guidelines of the Central Bank to open government accounts.
“There was no policy. I have never seen any policy document,” Former Governor Colley asserted.
He spoke about the Constitution, Central Bank Statutory and Old Banking Manual were used as guides.
Colley admitted that the Accountant General was the authority to request the opening of the government accounts but the proper procedure was not followed in this particular case. He further admitted that the opening of accounts by the Office of the former President was not compliance with the Central Bank Act. He agreed it was not normal.
“We were dealing with a situation at the Central Bank that was not normal,” he disclosed.
Colley earlier said he became Central Bank Governor from 2010 to 2017. He explained the functions of his office as the highest decision making body by chairing board of directors meetings and monetary affairs of country among others. His main function was to ensure financial stability.
Meanwhile, two former Central Bank Deputy Governors in the names of Basiru Njie and Oumie Savage Samba testified before the commission.
Njie who was deputy governor 1 said he spent 25 years at the Central Bank, saying his primary responsibility as deputy governor was to deputised for the governor as well as make sure there is financial stability.
Mrs Samba said she does not know any law that allowed the president to be a signatory to accounts. She spoke about the trying times she encountered at the Central Bank, adding that she was helpless.
“Sometimes I used to blame myself, with all my university education I was still sitting there helpless,” Former Deputy Governor Samba s aid.
She lamented about her helpless situation under the past regime saying she has been in the banking industry since 1984. She spoke about the soldiers and other individuals from office of the former president who used to withdraw cash. She said it was pathetic.
