Fadia George Mazagi, The Lebanese Business Partner of the former President Yahya Jammeh has said his company, the Global Trading Company was exempted from paying tax for all the contracts awarded to them under the former regime.
Mr Mazagi made these revelations after his third reappearance before 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.
“All the contracts awarded to us were tax exempted by the Ministry of Finance and GRA,” Fadia George Mazagi said.
“The contracts were not tendered but awarded to us base on the relationship between Muhammed Bazzi and former president,” he added.
Mr Mazagi told the commission that the Global Trading Company was registered in The Gambia in 2015 as a branch to the head office in Belgium.
Mazagi was summoned in respect to the payment of €1 Million Euro to the Global Trading Company to purchase a State Aircraft in 2011. He said the first arrangement does not materialized as the aircraft was sold to another buyer, saying an agreement was made to off set the deliveries of vehicles made to the Kanilai Family Farm. He added that the Office of the former President wrote a letter to business partners in Belgium to offset the previous deliveries.
The alleged letter, he said was written by Dr. Njogu Bah, former Secretary General.
“We have lost copies of the letter,” he asserted.
When asked by Counsel Amie Bensouda about using public funds to pay the debt of a private company he said it was an instruction from the office of the former president.
“It was an agreement between Muhammed Bazzi and the former president,” he responded.
According to him, €1.354 Million Euros was use to purchase Hyundai and coaches for the former president.
The Global Trading statement of account in respect to invoices to Kanilai Family Farm were admitted in bundles and marked as exhibits.
Commissioner Bai Mass Saine stressed the necessity to provide the alleged letter from the office of the former president which the witness say he will endeavor to get.
Counsel Bensouda put it to him that the invoices submitted by him were all meant for Kanilai Family Farm dealing with containers of vegetable oil which government has nothing to do with.
“Don’t you think you were assisting someone who might be diverting public fund,” Lawyer Bensouda asked.
“The documents were inconsistent,” she added.
“We were made to believed that the Kanilai Family Farm was receiving the vehicles and goods on behalf of the government,” Mazagi responded.
The Lebanese Businessman was told to provide a letter to the commission at a later date showing his exemption from paying tax.
Abdoulie Jallow, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Finance and Momodou Lamin Bah, Accountant General were next witnesses to testify before the commission.
The two officials were summoned in respect to the accounts opened by the office of the former president.
Permanent Secretary Jallow said the Special Security Account was opened purposely to meet the travel expenses of the former first family. The deposited fund, he said were from the consolidated fund. He said he has not seen any law that allows the president to be signatory to account.
“There is no legal basis to use consolidated fund to pay the travel expenses of the first family,” PS Abdoulie Jallow said.
Jallow and Bah admitted the opening of the International Gateway, Vision 2016 and Special Security Accounts among others at the Central Bank by directives of the office of the former president.
Accountant General Bah admitted that the president cannot be signatory to the consolidated account.
Bah acknowledged that the Special Security Account was used to pay for the travel expenses of the former president and his entourage which he said was not in line with best practices.
“I understand that the same practice continues still now. You have to regularize things since it is not in line with best practices,” Lawyer Bensouda told him.
Accountant General Bah in respond said they had a meeting about the issue with the Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs to tighten up things.
Meanwhile, the session was adjourned till Tuesday morning, September 26.
