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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.

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