Captain Ebou Jallow, former Spokesman of the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council AFPRC Military Junta has been accused of stealing millions of US dollars from state funds and absconded to the United States.
Captain Yankuba Touray and Captain Lamin Kaba Bajo both former members of the AFPRC military junta Tuesday, January 16, spoke about the matter for the first time.
The two former council members testified before the commission of inquiry probing into the financial dealings of the former President Yahya Jammeh and his close associates at the Djembe Beach Hotel, Kololi.
Yankuba Touray who served in different capacities under the former President Jammeh both as military and civilian said he was a member of the military ruling council when they discussed bilateral ties with Taiwan.
The former junta member disclosed that former Captain Ebou Jallow headed the delegation to restored the relationship with Taiwan, noting that he was not part of the loan agreement but knows it involved an amount of $35 Million Dollars.
“I am not aware of the $3 Million stolen by Ebou Jallow but I heard it on radio as I was not in town,” Yankuba Touray said.
He added: “I’m not aware of $5 Million dollars brought by Ebou Jallow in a briefcase to the council.”
Touray said he was not aware of the way the money was disbursed because he was not managing the funds.
“We could not challenge some of the decisions made by chairman (Jammeh) as military and civilian set ups are different,” he said.
When asked about the relation between the council and Libya which he said they did not have a direct relationship except the late Baba Jobe.
The former minister told the commission that he is currently a farmer at his home village of Central Badibu.
The next witness to appear before the commission was retired Captain Lamin Kaba Bajo who said he became a member of the ruling military council on 31 January 1995, after the failed attempt coup of Captain Sana Sabally and Captain Sadibou Hydara former Vice Chairman and Interior Minister respectively.
The former military officer who served several ministerial posts under former President Jammeh said he was not involved in the restoration of relationship between The Gambia and Taiwan but could recall it was sometimes in 1995.
Bajo answered in the affirmative when asked whether he was aware of the $30 Million Dollars loan granted by Taiwan to The Gambia, noting that Captain Ebou Jallow came with a briefcase containing a sum of $5 Million Dollars and later an account was opened. He added that he was a signatory to the Special Development Account which was opened at the Central of The Gambia for the purpose of development projects..
“Captain Ebou Jallow absconded with $3 Million Dollars which he lodged at a bank in Switzerland,” Lamin Kaba Bajo said.
“I was part of a 3 man delegation that traveled to Switzerland to recover the money stolen by Ebou Jallow,” he added.
The former member of the military ruling council said the court in Switzerland ruled in favor of The Gambia Government which enabled the state to recover some part of the money stolen.
Bajo who is the current president of The Gambia Football Federation said the Special Development Account was meant for infrastructural projects such as the building of Farafenni General Hospital, the Airport and some schools but could not tell whether the said loan was used for the said purposes.
The former Gambian diplomat to Morocco and China said he does not know anything about the grants from Libya. He disclosed that the late Baba Jobe who was the right hand man of the former president before they fell apart would have been in a better position to talk about the Libya issue. He added that he does not know the source of funds former president Jammeh was using in building houses in his home village of Kanilai.
Meanwhile, Ms Neneh Macdouall Gaye, former Minister of Information and Mr Omar P Ndow, former Executive Chairman of GAMTEL were summoned in respect of the signing of contracts and shares of company at the International Gateway.
