Over 50 compounds were on Thursday demolished at Farato Bafuloto village in Kombo South.
The demolition exercise, ordered by Sheriff Division of the High Court, came following a court ruling in favour of Manor Real Housing Estate, who is said to be the rightful owners of the demolished area.
The exercise was conducted, amid high security presence by personnel of the Police Intervention Unit (PIU).
According to an official from the Sheriff Division of the High Court, who came along with the case files, the demolished compounds were illegally sold to the affected people by the ward head of Bafuloto Madina Nema Suu.
Our reporter also saw both the approved letter for demolition and the writ document from the Sheriff Division.
However, in our attempt to get the version of the Alkalo of Bafuloto village proves futile.
One Ousman Jallow, a native of Bafuloto village and a clerk to the Alkalo, disclosed that the said demolished compounds belong to one Mr. Bittaye in Banjul, who was using the site as garden before selling it to the said Housing Real Estate in the late 1980s.
Also speaking to The Point, Omar Ndow, one of those affected, said he was sitting in his compound when he saw a group of people including the PIU officers asking him to vacate his compound so as to carry out the demolition exercise.
“I was sitting with my sister when we saw a group of people coming towards us and later asked us to vacate all our belongings so they can carry on their demolition exercise. But any time we ask them the reason for the demolition exercise, no one answer us. And no notice for demolition was given to us. All what I have worked for is invested into this house, so losing it in a single day will just create another setback for me and my family. We have nothing to do right now but only to rely on God,” he said.
Station officers at Gunjur Police Station have deserted the station building for more than a week amid fears of any possible attack by the angry and bereaved Gunjur community in connection with the killing of Buba Jammeh in a land clash with Berending.
The said police station was earlier attacked in a recent land dispute between Gunjur and Berending villages, with stones being pelted leading to destruction of doors, vehicle windscreens and furniture, by the angry mob of Gunjur who accused the officers of taking bribes and accepting plots of land by their rival village Berending.
Our reporter while investigating the matter visited the Gunjur police station yesterday and can confirm to have found the station to be completely abandoned by the station officers since the land clash between the two neighbouring villages.
Sources have told The Point that the attacked police station has since the outburst of the land dispute between the two communities been entirely evaded by the station officers.
They claimed that the said officers are currently posted at the Sifoe Police Station, leaving the community in a state of insecurity.
In an interview with The Point, police spokesperson A.S.P. Lamin Njie said he has been receiving calls with regard to the desertion of the station by the police officers at Gunjur, but could not at the time of going to press establish the fact, adding that information will be given in due course about the matter.
Lawyer Ousainou Darboe and two other prominent members of the United Democratic Party have been removed from their ministerial positions with effect from today, a state house press release reveals.
Mr Ousainou Darboe, who is the Secretary General and leader of the United Democratic Party, was at the time of his removal the Vice President, a position he held since June 2018. He was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad when President Barrow formed his first Cabinet in February 2017.
One of the sacked ministers is Mr Amadou Sanneh, who held the position of Minister of Trade, Regional Integration, Industry and Employment since June 2018. Prior to holding this portfolio, Mr Sanneh had been Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs since February 2017 when President Barrow formed his first Cabinet. He was re-elected Treasurer of the UDP at the 2018 UDP Congress, a position he has held for many years now.
The third person to be sacked by President Barrow is Mr Lamin N. Dibba, the Senior Administrative Secretary of the UDP. He had been a Minister in the Barrow Cabinet since its inception in February 2017. He was at first appointed Minister of Regional Government and Lands until June 2018 when he assumed the position of Minister of Agriculture after a Cabinet reshuffle in June 2017.
With the removal of these three ministers there is now no single member of the UDP in the Cabinet.
The Vice President’s position is now occupied by Dr. Isatou Touray. She will also be overseeing the Ministry of health as well until further notice.
Mr. Lamin Jobe replaces Amadou Sanneh as the Minister of Trade, Regional Integration, Industry and Employment. The Ministry of Agriculture will be overseen by Mr James Gomez the Minister of Fisheries and Water Resources.
No reason has been given for the sacking of these officials.
This is the second major cabinet reshuffle in two and half years since the Barrow government took over the mantle of leadership.
It could be recalled that in June last year President Barrow sacked four cabinet ministers including his first Vice President, Madam Fatoummatta Jallow Tambajang.
According the State House Press Release,
“The 51 year old Jobe is a native of Sanchaba Sulay Jobe and holds a Masters Degree in Business Administration from the University of Poona, India. Mr Jobe worked at the Ministry of Finance and Trade from 1981 to 1996 before moving to the National Investment Promotion Authority and Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation respectively. From 1998 to date he was General Manager of LAMFAM Enterprises in The Gambia and Guinea Bissau respectively, before his current appointment as Minister of Trade, Regional Integration, Industry and Employment.
Considering the statement issued by President Barrow that he financed the campaign of candidates of political parties to the tune of D300,000 for some and D150,000 for others, Foroyaa promised to speak to the administrative secretaries of the various political parties to know whether their parties received such sums of money from President Barrow. The reactions have started to emerge. In this edition we will publish the reaction of the administrative secretary of PDOIS and the honourable independent National Assembly member Mohmmed Nagassy.
According to the administrative secretary of PDOIS, Mr Edrisa Jallow, the PDOIS was the party that paid for the Hall at Kairaba Beach Hotel to start the Coalition talks. It did so in the National Interest.
Edi added: “When President Barrow was selected at the Convention and had to pay his deposit PDOIS contributed 50,000 Dalasis. Even though he won and deposits are refunded PDOIS never received its share of the deposit.
PDOIS continued to raise money to finance the coalition from day one of the campaign which ex Vice President Tambajng periodically received.
I was attached to the Campaign Financial team so that PDOIS would address any challenge. When the Campaign got stuck in Soma, I Edi Jallow was instructed by the PDOIS Secretary General to take fuel on a loan basis to fuel approximately 160 vehicles for five days under the control of Buba Bojang.
The person later showed his admiration of the role played by the PDOIS Secretary General and asked him to take it as a contribution. Over half a Million Dalasi of loan was waived because of PDOIS.
PDOIS raised 600,000 to save the coalition from being pressurised by unpaid drivers.
President Barrow would also confirm that I gave him 1 Million dalasis in the presence of Vice President Ousainou Darboe from Halifa Sallah to offset the debts of the Coalition.
I could attest that all funds from PDOIS are legitimate funds raised from Gambians and will be revealed at the right time when I am instructed to do so. As a PDOIS representative in the Finance Committee Madam Fatoumatta Tambajang would attest that I have submitted my accounts to her to her satisfaction in order to preserve PDOIS integrity.
The team responsible for the finance was retained after victory thinking that the coalition would raise funds to finance Independent National Assembly candidates just as President Barrow was financed. PDOIS was also getting ready again to raise funds for the coalition Independent National Assembly Candidates when news came to the party that the plan to have all coalition National Assembly Candidates contest under an Independent Ticket was foiled and that Candidates will contest under party tickets.
PDOIS proceeded and raised 3 Million for the deposits, campaign materials, polling agents and campaign funds of its candidates.
After this development Madam Fatoumatta Tambajang announced that there were coalition funds and assets to be distributed to stakeholders.
One week after campaign started Mr James Gomez now Hon, Minister of Fisheries called me and indicated that a sum of 900,000 dalasis and two vehicles have been allocated to PDOIS as its share of coalition assets.
This was received by me and submitted to the PDOIS Treasurer. One of the vehicles was reported to have an accident and had to be repaired.
The Secretary General held a Press Conference to announce the sum received and indicated that the sum received from the coalition would amount to giving each of our 22 Candidates a sum of 40,000 as our share. Since a deposit of 5000 was necessary and 100 T shirts cost 10,000 dalasis no candidate would have been able to finance a campaign if we relied on coalition funds which came late into the campaign period.
We should have complained of unfair and unequal treatment by the coalition at the 11th hour instead of any claim being made that the President financed PDOIS Candidates.”
After disclosures from the President that he has awarded up to three hundred thousand dalasi to finance candidates in the 2017 elections, the public is demanding to know how political parties belonging to the coalition, financed their candidates during the National Assembly elections.
For the sake of transparency and accountability, Foroyaa contacted Muhamed Magassy, the National Assembly Member for Basse who is also a Coalition partner, to hear from his side of the story, on the President’s pronouncements before a group of elders from Kombo South, on 6 January 2019. Magassy denied receiving a single butut from President Barrow or the Coalition, for his campaign.
He informed this medium that even though he is a Coalition partner who is entitled to a Coalition 2016 vehicle and a cash amount of D150,000, he was denied this entitlement.
He said he has claimed for this entitlement up to the level of the President as well as the Vice President’s Office to no avail.
“So, to say that he gave money to Coalition partners for their National Assembly election campaign, is unfounded as far as I am concern,” Hon. Magassy concluded.
The Licensing Department of the Gambia Police Force has incurred D17 million in revenue losses as a result of “printing errors,” The Standard has uncovered. A contract between the Gambia Police Force and Momodou Sowe Trading Enterprise (MSTE) was entered into on August 22nd 2016. It was for supply of 30,000 sets (60,000 pieces) of vehicle number plates and accessories. According to an audit report obtained by this medium, the contract was negotiated on behalf of government by the contracts committee at the Ministry of the Interior. It was to cost the police D34,372,500. And in 2018, the police reportedly attempted to single-source a D17,850,000 contract to the same supplier, an attempt which was flagged by the Internal Audit Department through payment voucher number 08PV012122 dated 8 March 2018 for the payment of D1,499, 999. The amount was to be the first payment for the supply of 25,000 sets of number plates and accessories. This transaction which was apparently against the procurement rules prompted the auditors to look into the whole contract.
The auditors found out that the total revenue generated from sales of number plates for the period 2016 to 2018 was considerably lower and only represented a mere 18% of the cost of producing them. The auditors also found out that 12,951 (twelve thousand nine hundred and fifty-one) sets were issued from October 2016 to December 2017. The remaining 17,049 sets were reportedly obsolete due to printing errors at the point of printing the plates. However, the audit team was unable to verify the obsolete plates, nor was there any reasonable explanation as to how over seventeen thousand plates could be obsolete. The actual revenues collected by GRA and remitted to the Accountant General’s Department through the Consolidated Revenue Fund for the sale of ordinary and personalised number plates from October 2016 to December 2016 was D1,364,600 and actual revenue from January 2017 to December 2017 from number plates sales was D4,313,300.
Thus, the actual revenue from sale of number plates for the contract period was D6,234,240 compared to actual revenue losses from the same contract of D17,049,000. The Gambia has four categories of number plates: private, commercial, personalised and gratis. The prices charged for each category of number plates mentioned above are D1, 000 for private and commercial and D5,000 for personalised. Gratis number plates issued in the year 2017 were 825. Meaning, the auditors have calculated the amount based on the modest D1,000 figure for private and commercial plates. And the auditors said they could not verify the number plates that were supposedly obsolete because they were not seen. In addition, they could not also identify in their records, the different classes of number plates issued to ensure accountability.
Assan Tangara, permanent secretary at the Ministry of the Interior who is on leave, told The Standard on Wednesday that he cannot comment on the issue. “Let me refer you to the Gambia Police Force,” Tangara said over the phone. However, the former permanent secretary at the Interior Ministry, Bully Dibba, has confirmed that the audit findings were presented to them and they have asked the former police boss Landing Kinteh to “investigate”. “I called him (Kinteh) and spoke to him about it…,” said Dibba. But until Dibba left Interior for the Defence Ministry, there was no report of an investigation on his desk. Dibba said the contract between the police and MSTE was not signed by him or the ministry while he was there as the permanent secretary. On Thursday, the Interior Minister, Ebrima Mballow, told The Standard over the phone that the investigation into the issue is ongoing.
The minister said the police are investigating the issue but because of the wider scope of the matter, “it has to take some time”. The minister said the investigation is going to look into the police contract with MSTE from 2016 to 2018. The owner of MSTE Momodou Sowe was contacted but declined to comment. When contacted on Wednesday afternoon, former IGP Kinteh said he cannot comment on the issue. And this medium also visited the police headquarters on Thursday but the office of the Inspector General has asked for a written interview request to be placed to the office before they can grant audience. However, on 12 June, this medium has learnt that a meeting was held between the internal audit department officials, Interior minister Ebrima Mballow and police chiefs and an official from ministry of finance to discuss the plate issue.
Attending the meeting were former IGP Kinteh, police Commissioner Edward Sambou now retired, director of internal audit Momodou Ceesay, and Momodou Dibba from Ministry of Finance. The official internal minutes of the meeting at Interior have revealed that Mballow tasked the former IGP Kinteh to immediately investigate how the “previous contract for number plates were executed”. The minutes indicated that the minister advised the police to put on hold all dealings with MSTE with regard to printing of plates.
“Avoiding tender” Meanwhile, auditors said the police have made additional procurement of holograms, an important security feature in number plates, from it printing expenses vote from the same supplier amounting to over D5,000,000 In other words, holograms were charged separately as opposed to being part of the accessories from the supplier. And auditors have found that the police have failed to comply with the GPPA regulations when procuring holograms. “A closer scrutiny of payments relating to the procurement of holograms revealed non-compliance with GPPA regulations as payments were disaggregated to avoid monetary thresholds set in the procurement laws,” stated the auditors.
The cost of holograms which they have bought from MSTE was D5 million which means, by GPPA regulations, it should have been tendered. But by splitting this payment into smaller amounts and at different times, the auditors said, they were deliberately violating the rules. And according to GPPA rules, any payment above 500, 000 should be tendered. And PS Dibba said they once wrote to inform the police that any expenditure beyond D150,000 should go through the contracts committee of the Ministry of the Interior. Moreover, auditors have also raised concerns on the timing, delivery and consumption of 30,000 sets of number plates within the contract duration of one year as somewhat inconsistent with the demand for number plates by motorists in Gambia.
The auditors have noted that there were inadequate records keeping by the Licensing Office and in addition, the limited records maintained are done manually with little accuracy. A visit by The Standard to the number plates department did confirm the auditor’s assertion that record keeping at the department are manually done. Dozens of paper record could be seen while standing at the front desk at the Licensing Office. It is not clear to this medium though if the records on the forms are later computed. Thus, the auditors have recommended for a comprehensive review of the previous contract awarded in the making of plates to ensure transparency and accountability.
“Given the cost of the materials supplied and wastage rate uncovered following our review, we recommend that any such future procurement should follow the value for money objectives by identifying needs and assessing various options including sourcing materials from manufacturer without middlemen involvement to ensure quality and value for money for the citizenry,” stated an audit briefing seen by The Standard. The audit report titled “Briefing Note on the GPF Number Plates Contract” has been sent to Finance minister since 7 May 2018 and copied to Interior Ministry and Gambia Police Force.
