The Independent
</publishers.html?passed_name=The%20Independent&passed_location=Banjul>
(Banjul)
December 18, 2000
Lamin Colley
Banjul
Lamin Waa Juwara, the propaganda secretary of the United Democratic Party (UDP)
has challenged sacked IEC boss Solomon Tilewa Johnson to expose the
"malpractice" which alleged characterised the 1996 elections.
Despite condemning Bishop Johnson's sacking as "unconstitutional and unlawful"
Mr. Juwara demanded that the former IEC chairman should reveal the things that
he claimed went wrong with the elections which left the APRC claiming the polls.
Mr. Juwara alleged that Gabriel Roberts the then chairman of the Provisional
Independent Electoral Commission (PIEC) presided over the election to help
President Jammeh in what he called a "self-succession" from military to civilian
president.
He said the 1996-97 elections should be revisited because according to him the
elections did not meet international standards.
Mr. Juwara pointed out that "it is shameful for a government, claiming the
peoples' votes in 1996 to be scared of facing the same people in free and fair
elections".
The UDP strongman said the latest sacking within the IEC should not go
unchallenged from every level in the international and national fronts,
including the courts.
Mr. Juwara said President Jammeh has forgotten that the appointment and removal
of the IEC chairman should only be made in consultation with both the judicial
and public service commissions. The action he argued was "yet another beginning
of the playing of the electoral game which was played by President Jammeh in the
run-up to the 1996-97 elections".
Mr. Juwara said the IEC chairman's removal indicated that the APRC
administration does not want the electoral body to be fully independent.
He further argued that while the Provisional Independent Electoral Commission
(PIEC) was acceptable to Jammeh's administration, the IEC was not, "apparently
because the IEC had asserted its independence in the way it handled the
demarcation of constituency boundaries and the professional manner it conducted
the Sami District chieftaincy elections".
He said that what made the PIEC acceptable to the Jammeh administration was that
"it compromised its independence and neutrality, whilst the Bishop was sacked
because he took a stand to defend the independence and integrity of the
commission".
Mr. Juwara further stated that he was one of the IEC's vocal critics because of
its position as a natural successor to the PIEC and the way and manner that body
conducted the 1996/97 elections.
He urged Bishop Johnson not to bow down to any form of intimidation but added
that he should "expose all the mal-practices the PIEC made under the
chairmanship of Gabriel J. Roberts".
He however commended the IEC for taking the government to court for not holding
local government elections, "as is constitutionally required".
He demanded that the government should immediately honour the verdict of the
Supreme Court and apologise to Bishop Johnson.
-0-
.HEADLINE Gambia "Foday Makalo spotted in Mali" Living with a lot of money
.SOURCE&DATE The Independent (Banjul) December 18, 2000 (20001218) By Musa
Sidibeh
.TEXT
Banjul - Foday Makalo the wanted former APRC administrative secretary who
"absconded with some party money" was reportedly spotted in Mali.
Reports say one Alhajie Fabakary Keita a Malian businessman, dealing in colanut
who was recently in The Gambia reportedly revealed that Foday Makalo was alive
and well in Mali.
Alhajie Fabakary Keita was said to have claimed that the former APRC official
was his neighbour. He said Mr. Makalo was "thriving there with a lot of money".
Following his disappearance fears were rife that Mr. Makalo who allegedly
absconded with thousands of dalasi might have been dead. Dembo Bojang a National
Assembly member for Bakau who claimed to be Makalo's trusted friend had in a
subsequent interview with The Independent said that he was not convinced that
the former APRC administrative secretary was alive.
Another theory spoke of him being alive in Spain where according to reports he
had sought political asylum. But these claims were not independently confirmed
However, close family sources "confirmed" to The Independent recently that Foday
Makalo was alive and well and was in a country within West Africa. They claimed
that Mr. Makalo had in the past months made several telephone calls to his
family from an undisclosed destination, assuring family members of his good
health.
"At first we did not believe that he was the caller but when one of his brothers
called him a name which was known to us alone we were about to blast with
happiness", a family member who looked assured by the news explained.
According to them Mr. Makalo made "a number of calls" to his two wives, but for
security reasons stopped short of disclosing his whereabouts to them.
Other sources claimed that when news about him reached his family in Saaba and
the village of Faday Biran there was a murmur of celebration among its
inhabitants who were reportedly heartened that their "son" and "brother" was at
last "confirmed" alive. The absconder's father who was reported in his late 90's
also felt heartened by the news.
However, Ceesaynding Makalo one of Mr. Makalo's daughters declined to comment.
Menata Njie his second wife when contacted claimed she had "no idea" of her
husband's whereabouts. She asserted that there was no contact between them since
his disappearance.
Foday Makalo was declared "wanted" last year by the then Inspector General of
Police Rex King in connection with the alleged disappearance of APRC money
amounting to "thousands of dalasi"
-0-
.HEADLINE Gambia Chinese "Mafia" Group Invasion Uncovered Here .SOURCE&DATE The
Independent (Banjul) December 18, 2000 (20001218) By Alhagie Mbye
.TEXT
Banjul - The existence of what has been alleged as a "ring" of Chinese business
racketeers operating around the sub-region and engaged in the duping of
businessmen under the pretext of doing business has been uncovered in The
Gambia.
Mahmood Hackim the manager of Tadi Enterprises in Banjul, who was a victim
claimed to The Independent that he lost D400, 000 to such a "mafia" group.
He said that the "mafia" group has a network of informers in the country. He
claimed that those who work with the group pretend to be normal businessmen,
dealing in unsuspected items.
He added that various quotations of goods taken from The Gambia are sent to
China where those who place orders are informed of shipment arrangements. Under
this arrangement he said "businessmen here are normally asked to make down
payments of about US $10,000 before the consignment is despatched". However,
according to Mr. Hackim when the money reaches the racketeers, "they maintain
contacts and demand more to expedite the transactions."
He further intimated that businessmen involved with the Chinese "mafia" would
when it was too late find out that they were dealing with unscrupulous elements.
He said that by the time they realised the mafia trick they would have been
duped.
Mr. Hackim said efforts to track down the group have so far proved futile.
"Considering the family value of the Chinese people all attempts to identify
them have failed" he noted.
He described such activities as "selfish crockery". Only crooks he said work for
them, spying on other people's businesses.
Mr. Hackim noted that as far as such individuals operate all over the sub-region
and beyond, he was duty bound to alert everybody, including his fellow
businessmen to take note.
Following the news The Independent contacted some businessmen, including some
Chinese all of whom expressed concern over the situation. They said that it was
absolutely necessary for businessmen to investigate the affairs of such agents
who might approach them for a deal.
Sheikh Touray a local businessman selling Chinese foodstuffs in Banjul noted
that such activities are "not healthy for third world businessmen who are trying
to make ends meet". He called on all businessmen to "join hands" against such a
practice.
Chun Sang a Chinese businessman in the country indicated that such unscrupulous
activities occur in other developed countries but should not be allowed to
flourish in The Gambia. Mr. Sang, who believed that there are ways of dealing
with the problem, advised other businessmen to consult with their counterparts
for information regarding possible transactions with the group. He also called
on the security forces to help investigate the problem for the best interest of
the business community and the country as whole.


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