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The former Minister of Tourism and Culture, Mrs. Fatou Mass Jobe Njie, has appeared before the commission of inquiry set up to look into the financial activities of the former president Yahya Jammeh and his close associates at the Djembe Beach Hotel.
Mrs Jobe Njie was summoned in respect of her involvement in the buying of the Dunes Hotel to the former President Yahya Jammeh.
She made synopsis of her appointments as Minister of Tourism, Ambassador to Malaysia and Executive Director of Operation Save the Baby, a foundation of former First Lady, from 2010, 2014 and 2016 respectively.
She revealed her being a signatory to the mobilization account at the Guaranty Trust Bank which was purposely for the former Taiwanese President’s visit to the Gambia with an amount of $8.1 Million US Dollars.
The former Tourism Minister disclosed the former owners of Dunes Hotel saying one Mr David Ford owned 90 percent while the remaining 10 percent was shared between the Filbert brothers. The property was valued at $3 Million US Dollars.
There were several offers ranging from $1.5 Million to $1.8 Million US Dollars from interested buyers but were all rejected until it was sold to the Kanilai Group International KGI at $650, 000 US Dollars in 2013.
She submitted the pact containing the sale transaction and other supporting documents which was admitted and marked as exhibits.
Mrs Jobe Njie said she heard David Ford hosted the former President Yahya Jammeh when he attended the UN General Meeting in New York City, 2005. She said Mr Ford visited the Gambia and paid a courtesy call on the former president in 2013. Ford later agreed to sell the property to the former president at $650, 000 US Dollars.
The former Tourism Minister who worked with the owners of Dunes Hotel since her days at the Standard Chartered Bank was later employed by the the hotel. She added that she was not part of any monetary transaction.
“I was not part of any monetary agreement,” Former Minister Jobe Njie said.
She disclosed that the sale agreement was prepared by the former Attorney General Lamin Jobarteh while the transaction document was made by Mahoney, former Solicitor General. She added that the Capital Gain Tax of $97, 000 US Dollars was supposed to be paid by the buyer. She added that the involvement of the Solicitor General was a directive from the Office of the former President.
Meanwhile, she said she could not answer why the property was sold to the former president at a lost.
