Commission Probing Into Former Gambian President Jammeh (Part 2)

Managing directors of Guaranty Trust Bank and First International Bank Thursday appeared before the three-member commission of inquiry that was launched last month to probe into financial dealings of Gambia’s former President Yahya Jammeh.

Bolaji Ayodele and Momodou Musa testimonies were in relation to the Alhamdulilah Petroleum and Mineral Company (APAM) that, according to sources was involved in sand mining.
President Adama Barrow presided over the swearing-in of commission member on July 13th with a three-month mandate from July, to act on the financial activities of public bodies, enterprises and offices as regards to their dealings with the country’s former President, Yahya Jammeh.
During his testimony, the GTBank managing direcor, Mr. Ayodele said the Alhamdulilah Petroleum and Mineral Company (APAM) were holding dollar and dalasi accounts at his bank. He said the dalasi account was opened in August 2015.
The opening form of the dalasi account, reference form, the mining license agreement between the government of The Gambia and APAM and the managing director’s appointment letter issued from the Office of the President were all admitted into evidence.
Mr. Ayodele told the commission that APAM name indicates that it is a company but the bank does not have its memorandum of articles of association. He said when the admitted documents were presented to the bank, there was an agreement that they were going to bring the memorandum of articles of association after registration but the bank never received those documents.
He said the bank later wrote several letters to remind them about the pending document. He said the first letter was written on 10th October 2016, and the second one was written on 8th February 2017.
According to Mr. Ayodele, it was Ansumana Jammeh who opened the account and on 19th October, 2015, the name Isatou Sallah was added as a signatory to the account, whose passport copy, he said is with the bank. He said on 3rd October, 2015, one Toni Ghattas’ name was also added as the incoming managing director of APAM.
The Nigerian born Mr. Ayodele said both accounts were closed after the bank’s 8th February, 2017, letter of reminder about the pending document. He said the same account opening documents were also applied to the dollar account, which one Sameena Azam, CEO of Jammeh Foundation for Peace was the referee for the accounts.
The printouts of statement of transactions of both the dalasi and dollar accounts, from the date of opening to closure were also admitted in evidence and marked as exhibits.
He told the commission that it was Mr. Toni Ghattas who opened the dollar account and there were sole signatories at different times. When he was asked whether that was appropriate for a corporate account, he said it depends on how the owners of the account wanted it or who they want to run the account.
Mr. Ayodele was also asked about the source of the funds in the accounts, which he said he was informed that the source of funds in the account were deposits that are drawn from mining operations that the company does on daily basis.
According to him, a total amount of $660, 370.45 was deposited in the dollar account and D61, 369, 621.77 was deposited in the dalasi account.
Mr. Ayodele seeks for the commission’s permission to allow him to bring the supporting documents for every withdrawal on a later date, which was granted, to him and he was given up to Monday to do that.
Also testifying before the commission, Momodou Musa, managing director of First International Bank (FIBank), also informed the commission that APAM Company had a dalasi and dollar accounts with the bank. He said both accounts were opened on 16th November, 2016.
The information documents of the opening of the accounts were handed to Counsel Amie N.D. Bensouda, who later applied to admit them.
Mr. Musa further revealed that Woreh Njie and Toni Ghattas opened both accounts on 16th November, 2016, and there were no change of signatories. He said both were current accounts but they were suspended on 16th January, 2017, long before the court give orders to freeze the accounts because there were some account opening documentations they failed to submit.
According to Mr. Musa, no memorandum of articles of association, no business registration and no certificate of incorporation were provided when opening the accounts, saying the only document provided was a tin certificate and that was done after they wrote the letter.
When he asked whether an account can be open without those documents, Mr. Musa said sometimes they can waive that condition for clients and give them time to bring the needed documents.
In separate bundles of documents, the transaction statements of both accounts were also admitted as exhibits.
According to Mr. Musa, D13.7 million was deposited into the dalasi account and D13. 4 million was withdrawn. He said the balance in that account now is not more than D5, 000.
“On 28th November, 2016, there was a deposit of $25, 800 and another $1, 200 into the dollar account and it was withdrawn on 29th November, 2016.” The counsel raised a question of abnormality but Mr. Musa said the account was a current one which allows the holder to deposit today and withdraw the next day.

by Fatou Sowe -Daily Observer
August 14th, 2017