NEWS
CORRUPTION REACHING ALARMING PROPORTION IN THE GAMBIA-TRANSPARENCY
INTERNATIONAL REVEALS -JAMMEH, YANKS AND OTHERS INDICTED
BY AN EDITOR
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October 21, 2005
The global anti corruption watch dog, Transparency International, in a
report says corruption is reaching an alarming proportion in The Gambia,
as it indicted the Jammeh government for massive corruption, rule of law
and human rights crisis. Transparency says there is indeed official
corruption in The Gambia, while lambasting the Jammeh administration for
its lack of commitment and determination to combat graft, in the tiny
West African country.
In its attempt to define the root causes of the endemic corruption in The
Gambia, Transparency International went further to explain "The main
causes of corruption in The Gambia are: The lack of ethics in the
governance of this country - the rags to riches syndrome whereby the
national interest is overlooked by those in public offices and those
private individuals close to the regime in favour of their private
personal interest." said the global corruption watch-dog.
Further grilling the Jammeh government, Transparency International said
the absence of an anti-corruption strategy, The poor conditions of service
for public officers coupled with a spiralling inflation and static
salaries that make it difficult for most public servants to maintain a
decent standard of living.
While Transparency passes a vote of no confidence against the Jammeh
regime in tackling graft, Transparency also exposes past attacks directed
at the Independent media by the Jammeh government, in a bid to scare local
journalists determined to expose the eleven year Jammeh rule. President
Jammeh, APRC's Jali Yankuba Touray and other corrupt government agencies
were named in this damning Transparency International report, which was
forwarded to us by a highly placed source at Gambia's Finance Ministry.
The source said the said report was not well circulated in The Gambia and
thought it necessary to share it with our esteemed readers. Below is the
damning corruption report issued against The Gambian government by
Transparency International. Please read on....
Transparency International Report on The Gambia - (PART I)
Corruption Profile
There is official corruption in The Gambia which is supported by available
evidence such as the Auditor General's Report 1998. This report which is
discussed in some detail in the study indicts both central government and
local governments. It exposes corruption in public life as well as showing
a poor level of financial accountability. The recent revelation by the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) concerning inaccuracies in data given to
them by the Gambia Government and the present suspension of cooperation
with The Gambia by that organization speaks volumes.
There have been a number of cases of high-level corruption, including the
on-going prosecution of Youth Development Enterprises Limited, its
Managing Director and Chairman for economic crime causing a total loss of
revenue to government of about eighty-two million dalasis is testimony of
on-going corruption in The Gambia (the Youth Development Enterprises
Limited is a Company registered under the Companies Act of The Gambia. Its
main objective is to import consumer goods such as rice, cooking oil, and
sugar for sale to the public). It is interesting to note that the Chairman
of the Company is also the majority leader in the National Assembly and a
close associate of the President who rose from rags to riches. The same
Chairman is on a United Nations travel ban for arms trafficking together
with former Liberian President Charles Taylor and associates. Whilst the
case is proceeding, the President for some unknown reasons disclosed in a
television appearance that he is the financier of the beleaguered company.
However the matter is sub-judice at the moment.
The Gambia Tourism Authority is at the moment hit with a financial scandal
involving an estimated amount of 2.9 million dalasis. The former Secretary
of State for Tourism, Yankuba Touray and the present Director General of
the Gambia Tourism Authority, have been implicated in the scandal. The
Director General has been suspended, the Chairman of the Board of Director
of the Board of Gambia Tourism Authority fired, and the Secretary of State
has also been fired. It is unclear whether this matter will reach the
courts.
The refusal of the Government to get its accounts audited after 1998 is a
cause for concern. It is generally believed that all is not well
financially as a result of which the National Audit office has not been
able to carry out its mandate under the Constitution. At the political
level there are allegations of corruption levelled against the Independent
Electoral Commission. It is believed that rules are made and bent to suit
the majority party. The opposition parties have in fact voiced their
dissatisfaction with and distrust of the present composition of the
Independent Electoral Commission. Street corruption is seen as less common
although there are however isolated instances where at police check
points, drivers and some police officers could be seen negotiating off the
road instead of drivers being escorted to police stations.
The main causes of corruption in The Gambia are: The lack of ethics in the
governance of this country - the rags to riches syndrome whereby the
national interest is overlooked by those in public offices and those
private individuals close to the regime in favour of their private
personal interest;
· The absence of an anti-corruption strategy, The poor conditions of
service for public officers coupled with a spiralling inflation and static
salaries that make it difficult for most public servants to maintain a
decent standard of living; · The overwhelming dominance of the President
in all aspect of government which encourages political patronage.· The
arbitrary exercise of power particularly in respect to hiring and firing
public servants; National Integrity Systems 2004
The Gambia 13
· The inability of the office of the Auditor General to audit the
financial statements of government from 1999 to date and the failure of
the Accountant General to reconcile government accounts and make financial
statements available to the Auditor General; · The muzzling of the
independent media of mass communication to suppress freedom of the media
and right to information;
· The lack of an independent credible institution to conduct free and fair
national elections that would provide quality leadership. The effects of
corruption on the lives of Gambians have been devastating in that: · It
increased poverty and derailed the poverty reduction programme of the
government which had promised improved living conditions for Gambians;
· IMF has suspended its cooperation with The Gambia and has strongly
objected to the distorted figures presented to it by the Central Bank of
The Gambia (it is feared by many that other donors would follow IMF's
position);
· Institutions created by both the Constitution and statutes to ensure
good governance, transparency, accountability and probity lack capacity
and moral courage to carry out their functions and have been seriously
undermined;
. There is an increase in human rights violation and gross indiscipline on
the part of some security officers legally responsible to protect and
promote human rights - e.g. unlawful arrests and detentions, preventing
detained persons access to counsel and refusal to obey court orders
directing release of detained persons;
· People have lost confidence in the regime and service delivery by public
service institutions have deteriorated; · Most people now depend on monies
being sent in from relatives abroad, · There in no major foreign
investment; · Local government institutions have been politicised to the
extent that they neither engage their Constituents nor improve their
conditions of living without discriminating against those members of the
opposition.
TO BE CONTINUED IN PART II...
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