POLICE CONFIRM ARRESTING SABALLY

  The Alkamba Times

December 21, 2022

275

By: Foday Manneh

The Gambia Police Force has confirmed the arrest of opposition United Democratic Party campaign manager Momodou Sabally on Wednesday, December 21, 2022.

The Police say Sabally’s arrest is connected to an alleged video circulating on media suggesting President Barrow will be unseated before the local government elections in 2023. As a result, he has been invited to the Police for questioning, said the Police.

This came barely less than 24 hours since the government confirmed an alleged attempted coup to overthrow President Adama Barrow, which several military officers foiled.

In an earlier reaction to his arrest, the opposition politician said: “I have been invited to Brusubi Police station by the usual suspects. Heading there right now.”

 

UNCONFIRMED REPORTS OF AN ATTEMPTED COUP IN GAMBIA?

By

 The Alkamba Times

 -

December 21, 2022

3292

 

 The Alkamba Times is closely monitoring unconfirmed reports of an attempted coup that was foiled on Tuesday evening involving some members of the Gambia Armed Forces who planned to unseat President Adama Barrow.

To ascertain the veracity of this rumored coup attempt, three different sources prodded by this medium have confirmed the news.

 

TAT contacted deputy Army PRO Malick Sanyang, who dismissed the rumored attempt, saying, “No, I am not aware of any coup, and it’s not true.”

Multiple sources within the security and intelligence services said the attempted coup was foiled by the military and Ecowas battalions stationed in the Capital, Banjul.

Some arrests have been made, one source told TAT, but the deputy spokesman of the Gambia Armed Forces said he’s not aware of any reported military takeover.

As the story develops, TAT will continue to monitor the situation and update its readers.

 

ECOMIG mandate in Gambia extended for another year

The Point Newspaper

Dec 12, 2022, 9:39 AM

The sixty-second Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on 4th December 2022 extended the mandate of the ECOWAS military intervention in The Gambia for another year.

 

 

The Ordinary Session was held in Abuja, Federal Republic of Nigeria under the chairmanship of H.E. Umaro Sissoco Embalo, President of the Republic of Guinea Bissau, and chair of the Authority.

“The Authority welcomes the contribution of the Peace Support Missions deployed by ECOWAS, particularly the ECOWAS Mission in The Gambia (ECOMIG) and the Stabilisation Support Mission in Guinea Bissau (SSMGB),” said a communiqué by the Authority.

 

“The Authority decides to extend the mandate of ECOMIG for a further year from 1st January 2023 and instructs the Commission to consider, within that period, a gradual downsizing of the Mission and commence the training and reorientation of The Gambia Defense and Security Forces to enable them to play their constitutionally assigned roles in a democratic dispensation,” added the communiqué.   

The Authority urges the Gambian government to diligently implement the Security Sector Reforms (SSR) and instructs the Commission to ensure that the ECOMIG Forces composition reflects a balanced regional outlook comprising troops from the ECOWAS Member States beyond the current countries participation in the Mission,” the communiqué also said.

The Authority reaffirmed its commitment to the promotion of peace, security and stability in the region as prerequisites for the economic development and integration of the region.

www.thepoint.gm

 

Mob attacks Bakau police demanding suspect in missing driver’s murder

December 2, 2022

By Tabora Boajng

The standard newspaper

A mob attacked Bakau police station demanding to deal with a suspect arrested in connection with the disappearance of a taxi driver from Bakau whose body was found reportedly mutilated in Salagi.

A number of police officers, civilians and a cameraman were wounded while the police station was vandalised in the melee as police threw tear gas to disperse the mob who burnt tyres and rampaged the main highway and other roads in Bakau.

 

The mob stormed the station after learning that a dead body found wrapped in a bag in Salagi was identified by the family to be that of Omar Sonko, the missing driver.

Immediately all attention focused on the 46-year-old suspect held since Tuesday by the police investigating the missing driver’s case. 

Scores of youths turned up around the station chanting “We need justice!”, “We want to kill him the same way he killed our brother!” and demanded the police hand over the suspect to them.

A small contingent of soldiers from nearby Fajara Barracks came to the scene to help calm tensions before the arrival riot police.

The Bakau station officer Foday Conta and Deputy Police Superintendent Modou Faye, worked hard to calm the protesting youths telling them the suspect was not in their custody and was transferred to Banjul.

However, the situation got out of hand following the arrival of a heavy reinforcement of PIU officers whose arrival agitated the mob and stones started to rain, beginning a five- hour long running battle between the PIU and the protesters.

Unable to contain the situation as they ran out of tear gas, the police pleaded with the protesters to calm down but the atmosphere continued to get tense as more and more youths emerged with cutlasses and machetes.  

The police brought in more reinforcement and fired more tear gas.

As the tension continued, the police resorted to calling the Bakau Alkalo Dodou Bojang to calm down his people. He arrived and was seen talking to the mob to restrain calm but the youths did not listen to him and the tension mounted.

“What has happened is unfortunate but we have laws governing this country. No one takes the law into your hands. What the youths are doing here is unlawful. We spoke to them and some moved but some are still around,” the alkalo said.

Speaking to journalists on the ground, Police SpokespersonCadet ASP Binta Njie, said they have have gathered sufficient information and will proceed with prosecution as soon as possible.

“It is unfortunate that the station that is meant to be the place where people can go and express their grievances is targeted by the people it is meant for. However, we are urging every resident of Bakau to maintain restraint calm and understand that we are going to do our best to ensure justice is served in this matter,” she said.

At the time of going to press a number of PIU officers were deployed to the Atlas petrol station in Bakau to protect it from getting burnt amid sustained firing of gas canisters, stones and bottles.

Death Of Soldiers Of The Presidential Convoy

 PRESS RELEASE: ACCIDENT INVOLVING GAF PERSONNEL OF THE PRESIDENTIAL CONVOY

 

1. The Gambia Armed Forces (GAF) High Command regrets to inform the general public of a Road Traffic Accident (RTA) involving its personnel serving in the State Guards Battalion. The accident which involved 5 soldiers who were travelling as part of the rear party of the Presidential Convoy occurred today Thursday 11 August 2022 around Ndemban Village.

 

2. According to reports gathered so far, there were several fatalities. However, the Military Police in collaboration with the Gambia Police Forces are investigating the circumstances leading to the cause of the accident. The general public would be duly informed of any developments as the situation unfolds.

 

3. We fervently pray for the deceased to rest in eternal peace and for the speedy recovery of the injured soldiers.

 

 

 

LAMIN K SANYANG

​​​​​​​​Lieutenant Colonel

for the Chief of Defence Staff

Two Regional Governors Get Ministerial Appointment

By Buba Gagigo

President Barrow has appointed regional governors Rohey John Manjang and Sheriff Abba Sanyang as Ministers in his new cabinet.

Rohey John Manjang, who was the Governor of Lower River Region, is appointed as the Minister for Environment and Climate Change; and Sheriff Abba Sanyang, Governor of Central River Region (CRR), is appointed as the Minister for Local Government and Lands.

In the past, Sheriff Abba Sanyang, served as the National Assembly Member for Foni Kansala under the APRC from 2007 to 2012, Deputy Executive Secretary, as well as the Liaison Officer of the Senegalo-Gambia Permanent Secretariat; before his appointment as Governor of the Central River Region replacing Sulayman Barry in 2019.

Mr Sanyang also served as the Head of President’s Empowerment of Girls’ Education Project (PEGEP), under former President Jammeh, and also served in the Gambian Embassy in Cuba in a senior capacity. 

Meanwhile, Rohey John Manjang served as the Governor of Lower River Region, before her appointment as the new Minister of Environment, and Climate Change on 4th May 2022.

Sanyang, John and the rest of the new cabinet are expected to take their oaths of office next week

www.kerrfatou.com/two-regional-governors-get-ministerial-appointment

May 5th, 2022

NPP Gambia Forward Facebook Page.

 THE GAMBIA: Louise Antoinette N'Jie (January 23, 1922 – May 22, 2014) was a Gambian teacher, feminist and politician who was the first woman to serve as a cabinet minister in The Gambia.

Louise Antoinette Mahoney was born in Bathurst (now Banjul) in British Gambia, the third of five children. Her father, Sir John Mahoney was of Aku descent and was the first Speaker of the National Assembly of the Gambia and her mother, Hannah, was the first Gambian woman to work as a clerk in the Government Secretariat in the 1910s. Her younger sister Augusta was the first female candidate to stand in a Gambian national election and later married Gambia's first President, Sir Dawda Jawara. Her brother John later married Florence Mahoney, the first Gambian woman to obtain a PhD.

N'Jie attended the Methodist Girls High School in Banjul, obtaining the Cambridge School Certificate in 1942. She then won a scholarship to attend the Achimota School in Accra, Ghana from 1942 until 1945, where she trained as a teacher. From 1963 to 1964, she studied educational administration at the University of Oxford.

N'Jie taught in various primary and secondary schools in The Gambia for ten years and was principal of Bakau Primary School from 1957 until 1963.

N'Jie married Denis Ebrima N'Jie, the Gambia's first dental surgeon, in the United Kingdom in 1950 and they had one son who died in 1997. She was a committed Christian and active in local churches throughout her life.

In 1953, she was one of five female members of a 34-member consultative committee to Governor Sir Percy Wyn-Harris on constitutional reform. In 1958, she was appointed to the Committee for the Preparation of the Royal Visit and the Reception of Queen Elizabeth II to The Gambia in 1961. In 1960, she participated in the United Nations Seminar on Participation of Women in Public Life in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In 1970, she was one of the founders of the Federation of Gambian Women.

N'Jie was a member of the People's Progressive Party and was elected to parliament in 1977, becoming Gambia's second female MP. She was also the only Christian member of the government at the time. She was appointed a parliamentary secretary in 1979, and in January 1985, became Minister of Youth, Sport and Culture, making her Gambia's first female member of cabinet.

She oversaw an increase in the education of girls and a 20% increase in the number of female teachers. She served in this role until 1987, when she became Minister of Health, Environment, Labour and Social Welfare. She championed family planning and education to reduce the maternal mortality rate, and initiated Gambia's response to the AIDS epidemic in 1987 with the establishment of a National AIDS Control Programme. She also oversaw the implementation of a cost recovery programme in accordance with the Bamako Initiative adopted by African Health Ministers in 1987 to accelerate primary healthcare.

N'Jie was a member of the PPP's Central Committee and led the formation of a Women's Bureau. In 1989, she led a delegation to Havana to the World Conference on Women. She founded and led the Soroptimist Society and was president of the Gambia Red Cross Society for ten years. In 1991, she was one of the few PPP members to encourage party leader Dawda Jawara to retire.

N'Jie retired from politics in 1992.

She was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire in June 1963. In 2015, on the 50th anniversary of Gambia's independence from Britain, she was named by The Standard newspaper as one of "50 prominent Gambians who helped to shape the nation."

N'Jie died on May 2, 2014, in Bakau. She was 92.

posted on NPP facebook page on April 3rd, 2022

POLICE SAY D155 MILLION CENTRAL BANK CORRUPTION CLAIM IS A SCAM

 FEBRUARY 21, 2022,   standard newspaper

By Lamin Cham

Police have said that investigations have revealed that a claim by a group of people that they have handed over D155 million of mutilated notes to a Central Bank staff for change into new notes is a scam.

Over the weekend, a letter from Lawyer Lamin Ceesay of Solie Chambers written on behalf of his client, Ansumana Bah, was leaked online. The letter addressed to one Abdou Ceesay, an employee of the bank and copied to the governor, urged him to return the D155 million allegedly given to him.

- The lawyer further conveyed his client’s claim that another D11.1 million was paid to Ceesay upon his request to be distributed to named staff of the bank to facilitate the exchange.

The matter was first reported by Sainey Marenah of online The Alkamba Times who headlined it as a bribery scandal at the reserve bank.

In reaction, the Central Bank issued a statement saying Abdou Ceesay had denied receiving the money and that a police investigation has been launched into issue.

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On Saturday, the police issued its preliminary findings as follows:

“In early 2021, Ansumana Bah and others had an encounter with an organised criminal group who encouraged them to form up a charitable organisation in order for them to access funding from certain unnamed philanthropist from outside the country.

To avoid missing the opportunity, they quickly formed “Jamma Charitable Foundation”.

Apparently, they were made to believe by the fraudsters that the charitable organisation had secured funding amounting to £2.5 million from a philanthropist in UK to commence charitable operation in The Gambia.

The fraudsters claimed that the said funds were smuggled into the country and put in boxes and kept safely in one of the houses of the partners turned scammers for a long period.

The foundation members were informed by the fraudsters that the pounds were converted into local currencies equivalent to D155 million partly mutilated which needed to be changed to new notes at the Central Bank.

The fraudsters further made them to believe without seeing that, changing or swapping the funds required payment of a certain amount as bribe to some role players at the bank through one Abdou Ceesay.

Ansumana and co were further lured into paying D11.1 million as bribe to fast track the alleged swapping.

They were promised a return of a good chunk of the money if they succeed with the swap deal at Central Bank.

The scammers provided some names of Central Bank staff including Abdou Ceesay to Ansumana and co as part of the beneficiaries to the claimed bribe.

Preliminary police investigation discovered that all the above revelations were false and deliberately made to lure Ansumana and co to pay monies to the scammers in relations to their ill-intended scam.

It was established that the fraudsters succeeded in convincing Ansumana and co in establishing a foundation called “Jamma Charitable Foundation” purposely to extort money from its members.

Ansumana Bah claimed that during the period, he and his colleagues raised about D4 million as their contribution towards the bribe.

He raised his funds through the sale of his landed property, assets and credit from families and friends to meet cost of the swap as requested by the fraudsters.

Furthermore, they were made to believe that the other party (scammers) were going to contribute towards the payment of the bribe.

Neither Ansumana nor other foundation members did visit the Central Bank during the period of the transaction.

It was also established that Ansumana Bah and the foundation members never interacted with any of the named Central Bank staff.

However, investigation revealed that some of these scammers were the same people posing as bank staff to win the minds of the foundation members.

The police are currently perusing all possible clues to expose the truth and nab those responsible for these dubious activities.

It is clear from facts gathered that neither Ansumana nor any of the foundation members had seen the £2.5 million nor the D155 million during the course of the entire transaction.

Rather, they were only banking on statements made by the scammers.

Peddling unfounded claims as given above are common attributes of fraudsters principally meant to entice their targeted victims.”

The police urged reporters “to always verify matters with the Press and Public Relations Unit for ease of clarity”.

The Standard has reliably learnt that Mr Bah has been in police custody helping them “to get to the bottom of the case”.

However, Mr Marenah of Alkamba Times who is in fact based in the US, has claimed that he is standing by his story and said “the public must not fall for the ‘cover up’ press statement from The Gambia Police Force on their so-called preliminary investigations into Central Bank of The Gambia corruption scandal.

“They’re doing everything possible to bury the case and protect criminals at the top. We are in possession of tangible evidence against those implicated in the scandal,” Marenah alleged.

Lamin Ceesay of Solie Chambers could not be reached for comments

CBG GOVERNOR REFUSES TO SHARE CONTENT OF A FLASH-DRIVE ALLEGEDLY CONTAINING VITAL INFO ON THE D11.1 MILLION BRIBERY SCANDAL

By

 The Alkamba Times

 -

February 24, 2022

1082

 

Bauh Saidy, Governor of Central Bank of the Gambia has vehemently declined to share the contents of a flash drive linked to the D11.1 million bribery allegations and the D155million mutilated banknotes supposedly to be changed into new banknotes.

On Wednesday 23rd February 2022, the Central Bank of the Gambia held a press conference to disassociate itself and staff to have any link to the D11.1million bribery scandal that was unraveled by TAT on the 16th of February, 2022.

This medium received credible pieces of information from sources within the Central Bank that the flash-drive contains all the communications and correspondences, that occurred between Ansumana Bah, an alleged owner of the D155million mutilated banknotes, and Abdou Ceesay, the alleged recipient of the D11.1million bribe on behalf of eighteen other Central Bank staff and two IMF officials.

Our investigations disclosed that the flash-drive was handed over to the Deputy Governor of Central Bank, Basaikou Jabbie by Lawyer Lamin Ceesay, of the Solie Law Chambers, representative of Ansumana Bah, and it contained the records of telephone calls and texts, records of WhatsApp calls, texts and audios, records of messenger messages and email correspondences.

“We (Central Bank of the Gambia) cannot give you this flash-drive because the investigations are still on and it is with the Police. We have listened to it here and the Board Committee investigating this also needs to have access to it” CBG Governor  said as he declined the request of Alkamba Times.

He added: “If I give you this (flash-drive) you will now stain the investigations process this is why we cannot give it to you. The investigation is going on in the Central Bank and the Police, it is evidence so we cannot give it to you.”

On Alkamba’s request for the content of the flash drive to be known to the public, Governor Bauh Saidy persisted again that the content of the flash drive cannot be given out to the press.

“If I shared this to the media some of the people involved are still at large and they can use this to defend themselves or used it against the accused. This is why we cannot give it out because it makes sense to give this to the press,” CBG Governor submitted.

However, immediately after the press conference, one of our sources at the reserve Bank told TAT that Governor Saidy’s hands have been tied because of the involvement of some of his closest buddies in the scandal.

According to the source, the alleged recipient of the bribery Abdou Ceesay shares a close relationship with Governor Bauh Saidy who approved his transfer to the currency department, revealing that some of the staff who have served many years at the currency department have been moved to other departments to give ways to Abdou Ceesay and other close buddies of Governor Saidy.

The Alkamba Times will continue to dig deep into this scandal to unravel what happened at the country apex bank as both the Central Bank of the Gambia and the Gambia Police Forces continue with their investigations

CBG BRIBERY SCANDAL: IMF BANJUL OFFICE DENIES INVOLVEMENT OF STAFF

 

By

 The Alkamba Times

 -

February 17, 2022

1082

Following the publication of our investigations into one of the biggest corruption scandals in the country involving the officials of the Central bank of The Gambia, the country representative of the International Monetary Fund Banjul has categorically denied the involvement of its staff in the scandal.

Momodou Barry told Alkamba Times that none of the names mentioned in the reports are staff of the IMF Banjul office.

Ask further if his staff is involved, Barry said none was involved but our investigation reveals that two IMF staff were involved in the scandal.

According to information gathered by The Alkamba Times, one Ansuman Bah, a Gambian national and resident of Brusubi Phase 1, deposited one hundred and fifty-five million dalasi (D155 million) mutilated banknotes with the Bankers Bank on the 21st March 2021 to be changed into new banknotes.
Reports say during that transaction, one Abdou Ceesay, a staff of the Central Banks currency development department demanded a bribe of D11.1million to facilitate the process that ended up failing.
Our source further revealed that the mutilated banknotes amounting to D155 million were later uncovered to be fake banknotes currently in circulation in the country.

Reports say the mastermind of the scandal, Abdou Ceesay also confessed to giving D2.8 million and  D1million to one Alcel Kataciga and one Mr. Bojang respectively, adding that the duo is all IMF officials who helped in confirming the changing of these alleged banknotes.

But the IMF Boss denied these allegations

CENTRAL BANK DENIES D11 MILLION BRIBERY SCANDAL, VOWS TO LAUNCH INVESTIGATION INTO THE SAGA

 

By

 The Alkamba Times

 -

February 17, 2022

The Central Bank of the Gambia has reacted to the eleven million and one hundred thousand dalasis (D11.1million) bribery scandal that was published by this medium on 16th February, 2022.

In a hastily written press statement Bankers Bank has defend its embattled staff Abdou Ceesay, for not receiving any bribery from one Ansuman Bah, who alledgedly deposited D155 million mutilated banknotes with the Bank on 21st March, 2021, earmarked to be changed into new banknotes.

However, it has also informed both the government and the general public that it will launch an investigations into the matter and anyone found wanting will be prosecuted duly.

“The Central Bank of The Gambia acknowledges receipt of a copy of a letter containing corruption allegations against one of its staff. In the said letter, it is alleged that badly damaged bank notes amounting to D155 million were handed over to the concerned staff to change into new notes,” Bankers Bank disclosed in its 17th February, 2022, press release.

It added: “It is also alleged that the concerned staff requested for the money to be brought to the Central Bank and he asked for the payment of demurrage of D310,000.00. It was further alleged that the concerned staff subsequently requested for various sums of money amounting to a total of D11,100,000.00 on behalf of certain individuals who would facilitate the arrangement to change the money into new notes.”

The release continued to state that: “It is finally alleged in the said letter that after all these sums of money were paid to the concerned staff, but he failed to issue the new notes as he promised and as such, a demand for the return of the said amount of D155,000,000.00 and D11,100,000.00 was made.”

The release disclosed that Central Bank has lunched an investigation on the matter and preliminary findings have revealed that:

1. The Concerned staff has categorically refuted the allegations contained in the letter and has indicated that he is not involved and has no knowledge of the matter;

2. We can confirm that March 21, 2021, the indicated date on or around which the transaction is to have taken place fell on a Sunday when the entire Central Bank premises was closed and not accessible to the public.

3. Some of the individuals named in the said letter are not known to the Bank, nor does the Central Bank have 9 dedicated night security guards as indicated therein.

It should be noted that an amount of D155 million could not have been brought to the Central Bank without the knowledge of any other individual apart form the staff concerned. Besides, the said staff was not posted at the Currency Department during the period of March 2021.

“The above notwithstanding, the Government and the general public is hereby assured that the Central Bank of The Gambia is taking these allegations very seriously and that it will take all available means to deploy a full investigation into the matter and anyone found culpable will face the full force of the law. The Central Bank of The Gambia remains committed to transparency and accountability in its actions,” the release ends.

In another development, Momodou Barry, International Monetary Fund (IMF), Country Representative, denies any involvement of its staff in the bribery scandal that rocks the Central Bank of the Gambia. arguing that the two personnels mentioned in the scandal are not IMF staff.

Meanwhile, Alkamba Times can authoritatively disclosed that Lawyers of Ansuman Bah, have threatened to prosecute the aforementioned Central Bank staff, Abdou Ceesay, if he fails to refund the D11.1million bribe and the D155million, alledgedly said to be false banknotes

Gambians Held in Senegal Released

 FEBRUARY 3, 2022,  Standard newspaper

By Lamin Cham

The Minister for the Interior, Yankuba Sonko, has confirmed that the three Gambians arrested by Senegalese Ecomig forces in Foni in the wake of the January 24 fighting with separatist MFDC rebels are alive and have been released.

The trio was reported to have been taken away to Dakar by the soldiers since their arrest on Monday.According to Minister Sonko, the trio, Alkalo Modou Mbye Bojang of Karorr village, Fabakary Bojang also from Karorr and police CID officer Abdou Jammeh have all been returned to The Gambia and are being kept at a safe place undergoing medical check-ups before being reunited with their families.

“They all look sound and healthy from outside but I gave instructions for them to be medically checked too,” Sonko said.

He disclosed that the case of the third man Fabakary Bojang was not very well known but he too was arrested in the wake of the same incident.

- -

The fate of the arrested alkalo and the CID officer was the subject of concern among Gambians who expressed outrage about their arrests.

The local National Assembly Member, Musa Amul Nyassi, also confirmed the return of the three men. 

“They are all back. In fact, we are delighted that a third one whose case was not very well known was released too,” Nyassi told The Standard last night.

On Wednesday, The Standard broke the news about the detention of the men in Dakar, Senegal.