Former Acting Managing Director of the Gambia Ports Authority, Hali Abdoulie Gai has said that there was a lot of infighting among staff of the ports authority in their quests for promotions and other favors from the Office of the former President.
Gai made these revelations at the commission of inquiry probing into financial activities of the former president and his close associates at the Djembe Beach Hotel, Kololi.
“There was a lot of infighting at the ports,” Former Acting MD Gai said. “I learned that several letters were sent to the Office of the former President saying I was against a certain ethnic group,” he added.
Gai who claimed to have worked at the country’s ports authority for 35 years was allegedly demoted before he was fired and dismissed by the Office of the former President through the Personal Management Office PMO.
“I felt so devastated,” he told the commission. The former Acting Ports MD said he was in the process of launching slipways for the two new ferries purchased from Greece. He alleged that they have already set the tariffs. He stressed that they were about to start operation when his dismissal letter was handed to him.
He allegedly handed over everything to his successor Abdoulie Tambedou who was later dismissed and prosecuted with him on economic charges. He spoke about a letter from the Office of the former President to the Police Serious Crime Unit with specific instructions to investigate and prosecute them. The court, he said acquitted and discharged them.
When asked by Amie Bensouda, Commission Counsel about the wasting of public funds on the purchase of ‘useless ferries’, he blame the failure of the two ferries operation on the way and manner things were handle by the Office of the former President.
“There was no platform for landing,” he asserted.
The former Acting Ports MD said the Office of the former President issued directives for the Ports to pay €1.175 Million Euros for the purchase of two ferries from Galle, a Greece Company. He said some staff were sent to Greece for training who later came with the two ferries. He confirmed being part of the signatories to the Memorandum of Agreement between the Government of The Gambia and the Greece Company.
“Unfortunately, they could not be commissioned,” he told the commission.
Commissioner Bai Mass Saine asked whether the involvement of the Office of the former President was in the interest of the country or for business. He took almost a minute before he could answer. He replied in the affirmative saying it was for both purposes.
Commissioner Saine further asked why he did not challenged the authority of the Personal Management Office PMO in dismissing him since it does not have the mandate.
Gai in his respond said that could only be possible in a environment where the rights, freedom and liberty of the citizenry are guaranteed.
Meanwhile, several documents including court case settlement between AG Chambers with Abdoulie Tambaedou and Hali Abdoulie Gai were admitted and marked as exhibits.
