>>The Independent (Banjul)
>>November 23, 2001
>>Posted to the web November 23, 2001
>>
>>By Ousman Darboe
>>Banjul
>>
>>Dominic Mendy a former Secretary of State for Finance who was also
>>SoS for Trade, Industry and Employment, has revealed that the
>>National Intelligence Agency had accused him of making statements
>>of sabotage against the government in relation to the groundnut
>>industry.
>>
>>Mr. Mendy who is now a consultant of Emanic Co. was arrested by the
>>NIA last Friday and spent four days at the agency's headquarters
>>where he said he was made to sit on the bare floor for days. He was
>>arrested together with the Manager of Agribusiness Service
>>PlanAssociation, ASPA, Gabou Gomez and detained without any reason
>>being advanced. Mr. Gomez has since been sacked from his position.
>>
>>Speaking to The Independent reporter Wednesday at his house in
>>Kanifing, Dominic Mendy noted that he was detained at NIA
>>headquarters for four days without charge. He said although while
>>in their custody he was not out in a cell he spent "the days and
>>nights on the floor".
>>
>>Mr. Mendy remarked that he was ushered in front of an NIA officer
>>called Barry and ordered to write a cautionary statement. The NIA
>>he explained accused him of writing statements that sabotaged the
>>government with regards to groundnut purchasing and marketing
>>funds.
>>
>>"On the 19th November the NIA came to my house, searched all the
>>place and took some of my personal documents," he claimed.
>>
>>Mr. Mendy, however, raised doubts over the NIA allegation that he
>>wrote statements that were against the government, because
>>according to him since 1999 he has working as a consultant. He said
>>he was given a contract by ASPA as a consultant, which he did
>>accordingly. He revealed that after completing a draft contract
>>given by ASPA, a report was submitted to the Monetary and Control
>>Committee, MCC, for review and discussion under the chairmanship of
>>the permanent secretary, B.S.
>>
>>Ceesay. Other members were EC delegate Marc Andre, Permanent
>>Secretaries of Finance, and Trade, Solicitor General Raymond Sock,
>>ASPA Manager Gabou Gomez and EC Support Unit Manager Dr. Touray he
>>explained.
>>
>>Mr. Mendy further revealed that at a meeting held by them, the
>>Solicitor General came with written observations on aspects of the
>>draft that dealt with groundnut responsibility. He said the
>>observations were taken to him and incorporated into the draft and
>>re-submitted. He added that the committee summoned him to send the
>>document, which he did and later received written comments from all
>>the ministries.
>>
>>"We discussed each comment, then I took the documents and
>>incorporated them into the draft again. And re-submitted a final
>>draft to ASPA" he said.
>>
>>According to him a stake-holders workshop at Kairaba Beach Hotel
>>was held to discuss the draft and he was consulted to present the
>>document as a consultant. "Everybody at the workshop felt that it
>>was a fantastic document" he claimed, adding that but to his
>>surprise he was invited by the NIA.
>>
>>This workshop, he said, was attended by the Secretaries of State
>>for Agriculture and Finance and their permanent secretaries, SoS
>>for Tourism and Culture, Solicitor General, deputy permanent
>>secretary Trade, all local banks and all groundnut operators in The
>>Gambia.
>>
>>At the end of the presentation, two groups consisting of bankers
>>and operators were set up to discuss the document and came up with
>>their comments he noted.
>>
>>Giving a background of ASPA, he said the Agribusiness Service Plan
>>Association regroups all stakeholders in the groundnut sub-sector.
>>It signed in December 1999 a framework of agreement with the
>>government of The Gambia, endorsed by donor partners. Government
>>through the monitoring and control committee upholds the role of
>>policy formulation and monitoring.
>>
>>Mr. Mendy said the assignment was to review the feasibility in the
>>domestic banking sector of establishing, groundnut purchase and
>>marketing fund and facility for the financing of groundnuts in The
>>Gambia, particularly with 2000/01 seasons.
>>
>>"The main objective of the central fund or facility, both of which
>>can be acceded to by one bank, was aimed at creating and
>>establishing an institutional device for sustained and perpetual
>>financing of groundnuts purchase and marketing in The Gambia. The
>>study shall conduct consultation with all local banks and
>>interested non-bank financiers and determine the willing ness to
>>contribute to an investment fund for the purchase and marketing of
>>groundnuts" he explained.
>>
>>Mr. Mendy had acquired over ten years experience working in the
>>financial sector of The Gambia, eleven years in trust management
>>and one year as a corporate banker. He is reputed to have a wealth
>>of experience in local investment placement and of dealing with the
>>prime clients of the biggest local bank.
>>
>>"Four years as minister in government has given me the experience
>>of dealing with world leaders (presidents, the secretary general of
>>the United Nations, President of the World Bank, Managing Director
>>of the IMF and ministers all over the world) in economic and other
>>management policy issues" he pointed out.
>>
>>Over three years as a private consultant has led to the
>>accumulation of experience in strategic management, development and
>>preparation of strategic plans, public and private policy studies.
>>
>>He served as Account Relationship Officer for the Standard
>>Chartered Bank of The Gambia for a year, and as Minister of Finance
>>and Economic Affairs, and of TRADE, industry and Employment of The
>>Gambia for one and three years respectively.
>>
>>From 1999 he opted for private practice as consultant. He has since
>>undertaken several assignments for both the private and public
>>sectors in The Gambia most of which were either sponsored by the
>>European Commission or the World Bank jointly with the government
>>of The Gambia.
>>
>>In his work as government minister he has served as the Chairman of
>>the Board of Directors of the ECOWAS Fund, member of the Boards of
>>Governors of the African Development Bank, the World Bank and IMF
>>and the Economic Committee of the OIV (COMSEC).
>>
>>He also undertook major policy reform measures in The Gambia
>>including chairing the elaboration of a national long-term
>>development master plan The Gambia Incorporated Vision 2020.
>>
<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>
To view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface
at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html
To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to:
[log in to unmask]
<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>//\\<<//\\>>
|
