Lang Conteh As Central Bank Scapegoat; Omar Jallow Says 'Can of Worms'
Leads to Others

The Independent (Banjul)
NEWS
November 3, 2003
Posted to the web November 3, 2003

By Musa Jobarteh
Banjul

Lang Conteh is the helpless scapegoat for the pernicious ills of the
Central Bank although "a whole can of worms" leads to other top officials
of the bank, according to Omar Jallow. The interim leader of the PPP told
The Independent in an exclusive interview that Mr. Conteh, a former foreign
exchange manager at the Central Bank was just one among a group
of "spoilers" who should be held accountable for a series of
misappropriations running into millions of dalasis and resulting in untold
suffering for the greater majority of Gambians.

"If reports surrounding Lang Conteh about the missing $20 million in the
Central Bank is true then where does this leave his superiors at the bank
who should be in a position to know about the fate of such a huge sum of
money, which could have been used judiciously to revamp our battered
economy" OJ postulated.

OJ decried what he called "the systematic breakdown" of our financial
institutions and departments, where rules and regulations are no longer
followed. He said this lack of fiscal discipline in our financial
discipline could be blamed for the economic hardship a growing number of
Gambians a facing. He said if the APRC regime cares about the welfare of
its citizens and the future of the country, its leadership "should waste no
time in reviewing the activities of the Central Bank whose officials
including Lang Conteh should be made to account for the crisis, which has
enveloped all Gambians".

He said sensible Gambians couldn't dismiss persisting reports about the
situation at the Central Bank, since there are tell tale signs of its
repercussion on the country's economic performance over the last few years.

"If Ebou Jallow can physically disappear with $3 million from the CBG in
spite of the financial regulations that are supposed to be in place, if we
can witness the opening of a special account in the CBG by the junta which
was operated and managed by it without due regard and respect to the CBG
financial regulations what else is left of moral restraint. We have
witnessed the inability of the government to explain the whereabouts of $35
million given to the Gambian people by the Taiwanese government in between
1994 to 1995, we have also witnessed the inability of government to account
for the millions and millions of dollars realised from the crude oil gift
from Nigeria from 1996 to 2001. The government has avoiding addressing the
issue of monies derived from the minerals been mined in Brufut and
exported" O.J charged.

Mr. Jallow also came down hard on the APRC government for its supposed
inability to inform Gambians how much was realised from the sale of
passports in Taiwan and in Hong Kong during the transition and or put into
proper perspective revelations that Honourable Baba Jobe and some close
associates of the regime are in tax and duty arrears for goods imported
into the country. "Then he cannot write off the rumours about the missing
$20 million dollars" he said.

He said that The Gambia is a small country where rumours are usually well
founded. "There can be no smoke without fire. Ministers give conflicting
information about the same issues.

"It is unfortunate that members of the same government would live at cross-
purposes. It is a shame that the then minister of Finance Famara Jatta and
Baba Jobe would say two different things about the same issue at the same
time" he pointed out.


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