Saiks,
You're absolutely right again - especially when we're talking about people
from Guinea Conakry. Those people contribute more to the Gambian economy
than most so-called full-blooded Gambians. Yet, they're perpetually
harrassed for being "foreigners." This, while people like Babanding Sisoho,
and this Samuel Sarr are given diplomatic passports! You just have to wonder
when the hypocrisy is going to stop.
Saul.
>From: saiks samateh <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: [THE OBSEVER NEWS]
>Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2000 12:15:55 PST
>
>Hi,
>
>Sorry for that mess but I hope one would be able to read it.One thing I
>wondering how non Gambian citizens are easyli granted Gambian diplomatic
>passport,having in mind the Babanding cse,and ordinary Gambians have so
>much
>difficulties in providing a simple passport to travel.Not even to say the
>many
>non Gambians who have spent years and years in the Country contributing one
>way or another to the Gambian economy,and some of them are even married to
>Gambians and their children are Gambians,these people find it difficult to
>have residential permits and are year after year harassed by immigration
>officers without any good reason.God bless the Gambia !!
>
>For Freedom
>Saiks
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
><br>
><html>
><body>
>HI Saul and Others,
>
>Read this one from the OBSERVE,compared to the Idependent case,one will
>only
>start to wonder if the arrest of the Independent jornalist is not
>political.Have a nice reading.
>
>For freedom
>
>Saiks
>
>
>
>Last evening, government authorities issued a press
> release refuting allegations made by UDP leader
> Ousainou Darboe, Friday, that President Yahya
> Jammeh diverted millions of dalasis from the sale of
> crude oil lifted from Nigeria on behalf of The Gambia
> to his personal use.
>
> The government release stated: The attention of the
>government of
> The Gambia was drawn to the clandestine circulation of
>certain
> documents purportedly relating to a contract between the
> government of The Gambia and the Nigerian National
>Petroleum
> Corporation (NNPC) for the lifting of crude oil in 1996.
>
> The clandestine circulation of the said documents is
>calculated to
> bring the name of the president and the government of
>The
>Gambia
> to disrepute.
>
> The government of The Gambia wishes to inform the
>Gambian
> citizenry of some facts relating to the said documents
>to
>avoid their
> misinterpretation by ill-intentioned persons with
>ulterior
>motives.
>
> In 1996, the government of The Gambia entered into a
>contract with
> the NNPC under a scheme that was to benefit many
>countries
>in
> the subregion. All documents relating to the said
>contract
>were
> signed by government officials who had legal authority
>to do
>so.
>
> A prominent feature of the said documents being
>circulated
>is the
> participation of one Mr Samuel Sarr in the transactions.
>Mr
>Samuel
> Sarr who claims to be an international business
>executive
> representing the Omni Group in Paris, became involved
>with
>the
> government through diplomatic means as a result of which
>he
>was
> granted a diplomatic passport to facilitate the
>assistance
>that he
> would render the government of The Gambia under the said
> contract.
>
> Mr Samuel Sarr however purportedly acting under the
>directives of
> the president is believed to have used his diplomatic
>status
>in 1997
> to unilaterally enter into a subsequent contract without
>reference
> to the appropriate authority and of course for his
>personal
>gains.
>
> The government of The Gambia, upon learning of this
>contract
> terminated it with immediate effect. Investigations into
>the
>signing
> of the contract revealed that Mr Samuel Sarr in order to
>secure the
> said contract allegedly on behalf of the government of
>The
>Gambia
> presented to the NNPC with authority purportedly
>emanating
>from
> the "Ministry" of Trade, Industry and Employment signed
>by
>the "
> Minister" of Trade, Industry and Employment in 1997, a
>period
> when the above nomenclatures had constitutionally
>changed
>to
> "Department of State" and "Secretary of State"
>respectively.
>No
> government official was present at the time of signing
>the
>said
> contract. The documents presented were believed to have
>been
> falsified and investigations have already been mounted
>by
>the
> relevant authorities of government.
>
> The government of The Gambia wishes to assure citizens
>of
>The
> Gambia of her continued and steadfast commitment to the
> principles of transparency, accountability and probity."
>
> But while delivering his "new millennium message" in
>Banjul,
> Friday, Ousainou Darboe told journalists that on August
>26,
>1996,
> the then Trade, Industry and Employment secretary
>Dominic
> Mendy granted a power of attorney in favour of Mohammed
>BS
> Jawara, then deputy chief protocol at the Office of the
>Chairman
> and Head of State, authorising him to sign an agreement,
>relating to
> the lifting of 20,000 barrels of crude oil per day by a
>business
> concern Chantrils Commercial SA (CCSA) on behalf of The
>Gambia
> on a contract earlier executed between The Gambia and
>Nigeria.
> Darboe accused President Jammeh of giving a power of
>attorney to
> one Samuel A Sarr, a Senegalese who was given a Gambian
> diplomatic passport in April 1996 to sign a one-year
>extension
> contract with CCSA for the lifting of crude oil from
>Nigeria
>in 1997
> on behalf of The Gambia.
>
> Dominic denies
>
> Darboe said during the second meeting of the third
>legislative
> session of the Assembly on November 3, 1998, Kemeseng
>Jammeh
> minority leader asked the Trade Secretary whether some
>Ecowas
> countries have been benefiting from the supply of crude
>oil
>in 1997
> and 1998 at a concessionary rate and whether The Gambia
>was
> included in the programme. But according to Darboe, Mr
>Mendy
> denied any knowledge of The Gambia's involvement in such
>a
> programme. He also alleged that all funds obtained from
>the
>crude
> oil were remitted into account number J36650-7C held at
>the
>United
> Overseas Bank Switzerland.
>
> He said according to Samuel Sarr CCSA remitted US$1.9
>million
> into the said account in respect of the crude oil.
>
> Darboe alleged that President Jammeh told Sarr "not to
>involve any
> government department in the crude oil transaction and
>that
>Sarr
> should report directly to him."
>
> Government sued
>
> Darboe said CCSA had sued The Gambia Government for
>breach
>of
> contract and damages in the High Court of Justice,
>Queen's
>Bench
> Division Commercial Court in UK after CCSA which paid
>$0.20
>per
> barrel was dropped from the deal in favour of another
>company
> which allegedly paid £0.38 per barrel to The Gambia
>government.
>
> He added that judgement has been delivered in favour of
>CCSA
> and the state has been ordered to pay costs of £500.00
>within 28
> days. CCFA also claimed damages for US$601,635 from the
> government, he said.
>
> Asked by Daily Observer about veracity of his
>information,
>Mr
> Darboe said, "I will not tell you the source of my
>information. If
> anybody doubts the authenticity of this document, you go
>to
> Dominic Mendy, he is a signatory, can't you do that?
>You
>can
> contact the High Court or the registrar of the
>Commercial
>Court in
> UK, ask them is there any suit against the government of
>The
> Gambia by Chantrils and why?"
>
> Darboe challenged the president to set up a commission
>of
>inquiry
> to probe this matter as he did on November 24, 1994, to
>investigate
> among other matters, the purchase and sale of crude oil
>by
>Jawara's
> government.
>
> Meanwhile in his New Year message, UDP leader Ousainou
>Darboe
> praised Foreign Affairs Secretary Dr ML Sedat Jobe for
>his
> "laudable efforts" in trying to bring peace to the
>Casamance.
>
> "As we pray for the success of the peace process
>initiated
>by The
> Gambia, we must not lose sight of the causes of the
>conflicts in the
> Casamance and other parts of Africa and find remedial
>solutions to
> them," Mr Darboe said.
>
>
>
><br>
><BR>
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