Posted by By Bekai Njie
Five allies of former President Yahya Jammeh namely Muhammed Lamin Gibba, Tarek Musa, Yankuba Badjie, Woreh Njie Ceesay and Feryale Ghanem (Laly Diab), have their assets frozen by the Commission of Inquiry.
The move came in the wake of the evidence adduced before the said Commission chaired by Sourahata Janneh.
Muhammed Lamin Gibba, former managing director of: Aassets Management Recovery Corporation (AMRC), Gambia Ports Authority (GPA) and Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation (SSHFC) respectively informed the Commission on the 8th May, 2018 that he is related to Ex-President Jammeh by virtue of marriage and he testified that the farms of Ex-President Jammeh in Dobong were given to the Ex-President by his father.
Evidence showed that honorarium for workers in the Ex-President’s farms in Dobong was financed by GPA on instructions of Muhammed Lamin Gibba for over five (5) years without adherence to due process.
Evidence further showed that between the period 2003 (or thereabout) to 2014, Muhammed Lamin Gibba while serving as managing director gave instructions for the release of public funds to the Office of the President or the ex-president personally from verbal instructions of the ex-president without adherence to due process.
On the part of Tarek Musa, a majority shareholder and director of TK Motors Gambia Ltd. and TK XPORT, Dubai UAE introduced Muhammed Bazzi (close associate) to Ex-President Jammeh, evidence showed that from 1996 to 2016, TK Motors Gambia Ltd. supplied the Office of the President, motor vehicles and spare parts on the directives of the ex-president without adherence to any public procurement rules.
Evidence further disclosed that substantial sums from government accounts at the Central Bank and other public resources have been paid to TK Motors Gambia Ltd. on the executive directives of the ex-president.
Evidence also showed that TK XPORT has been shown to have been responsible for the purchase of election paraphernalia for the APRC political party of the ex-president and also received funds from the office of the former president’s first lady, Zaineb Jammeh for the supplies to that office.
Evidence adduced also disclosed that Mobicell Blue Ocean Wireless Company Ltd. contracted over three million U.S. dollars to TK XPORT for farming equipment for the ex-president.
Yankuba Badjie, former director general of the defunct National Intelligence Agency (NIA) is closely connected to the Ex-President Jammeh and operated under his direction.
Woreh Njie Ceesay was appointed managing director of Kanilai Group Investment Company Ltd. by the Ex-President Jammeh in 2014. Woreh Njie Ceesay was receiving instructions and reporting to the ex-president through Gen. Sulayman Badjie (a close associate).
It was further adduced that from 2014, Worh Njie Ceesay managed the sale of Japanese Rice by KGI as sole agent for the Ministry of Agriculture under the government of Japan KR Rice grants project.
In 2016, Woreh Njie Ceesay was purportedly given 40% shares of KGI Company Ltd. by ex-president and Gen. Sulayman Badjie was purportedly given 60% shares.
Feryale Ghanem (Laly Diab) evidence adduced that she assisted in the incorporation of Kanilai Group Investment (KGI), signed as a witness in the incorporation documents, noting that she also managed Sindola Hotel in Kanilai and UTSC Bus Company on behalf of ex-president without renumeration.
The commission, however, declared that Muhammed Lamin Gibba, Tarek Musa, Yankuba Badjie, Woreh Njie Ceesay and Feryale Ghanem are restrained whether by themselves or their officers, servants, agents or any of them or otherwise from selling, assigning, mortgaging, charging or otherwise disposing of any of their moveable or immoveable assets whether directly or indirectly owned including land, shares, stocks, debentures or other interest in any of their companies or businesses in The Gambia or outside The Gambia pending further order of the commission or the outcome of the inquiry.
They were further restrained from removing from this jurisdiction any of their aforesaid assets or doing anything that may reduce the value of the said assets pending further orders.
The commission advised that members of the public are invited to provide any information they may have regarding the assets owned by these persons in or out of the country.