By: Sarjo Brito
Economist Momodou Sabally has said top government officials, including the minister in charge of the digital economy, should either resign or be fired following what he describes as a major breach of economic and financial security amid the central bank cyberattack.
While the government has not issued any statement over the massive overpayment of salaries, observers like Sabally believe it is linked to the November hacking incident.
“I think this government should come out clean and admit that the central bank was hacked, the extent was pervasive, and that government cannot fully control the situation. I believe some top government officials including the minister in charge of the digital economy should either resign or be fired because this is a major breach of economic and financial security. Its implications will be pervasive,’’ he said.
Momodou Sabally said the unprecedented cyberattack did not come as a surprise, accusing top government officials of using free email services to conduct official government business. He further stated that the data hack and overpayment of salaries must not be brushed aside, adding that government must come out and tell Gambians the full extent of what has happened.
“The government is still mute about how far the system is affected. All they are talking about is the overpayment of salaries of public servants. But my question is, were vendors and other suppliers to the government paid? I believe they have been paid but there is no statement to that effect. Have these monies been recovered? We don’t know,’’ Sabally added.
In early November, reports of hackers infiltrating the Central Bank of The Gambia surfaced online. The hackers claimed to have stolen two terabytes of sensitive data. The Gambia government quickly issued a press release asking Gambians not to panic.
