Dampha,

You should know more than anyone else that I will not run away from you or anyone for that matter. I am just taking my time and try to digest some of the issues that you've raised. Rest assured that I will continue this debate for as long as it takes if I happen to know something about the issues being discussed.

First of all, the $3 million transfered from the central bank to the account of Phillipe was done in 1995 and not 1994. I know this very well as I happened to have been on the same flight that took Ebou Jallow out of the country. On that occasion two other collegues of mine and myself were invited to Geneva to attend the two week Telecom expo 95 and other seminars organized and finannced by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). On that same flight was Tombong Saidy's ex-wife, Ms F. Dibba. During the flight, Ebou Jallow came to talk to Ms. Dibba, who was sitting two rows infront of us. He told her that he had some business to transact in Geneva and that from there he was proceeding to the US. He told her to tell Tombong that he would visit them to eat Benachine when he arrives in the US. At the time I did not know him and it was only after he went back to his seat that one of my collegues asked me if I knew the guy who was speaking to Ms Dibba. I replied in the negative and he told me that he was Captain Ebou Jallow, spokesman of the AFPRC.

A few days later, we learnt of his transfer of $3 million to a private Swiss bank account of one Phillippe something. A few days later, a copy of his order to the central bank to effect the immediate transfer of the said sum was faxed to us. Ironically, we used to change trams right infront of the Swiss bank concerned in Belair.

Dampha, this money came straight from the development fund set up by the AFPRC. I know nothing about a $1.7 million cash deposit or $20 million being sought by the government. It is very convenient to post extracts of a court case, but am afraid I am more interested in the actual ruling and outcome of the case than all the nitty gritties.

Finally, you cannot run away from the fact that, the main protagonist in this sorry saga is none other than Ebou Jallow. He was the one on trial for theft and not Jammeh! Logic and commonsense requires that evidence from a dodgy character be treated as suspect. The guy attempted to steal a colossal sum of money from us, he was taken to court and in his defense accused Jammeh of all sorts of things. After loosing his case, he turns around and apologises to Jammeh for all the wrongs that he has committed against him and asking for his forgiveness. As if that was not enough, he has the gull to tell us that he owes no apology to any Gambian except Jammeh, whom he has wronged and you want me to take his evidence seriously. Are you for real Dampha?

I maintain that the man has lost credibility as far as this transaction is concerned and his entire testimony is therefore suspect and therefore not acceptable to me. Any competent court of law will throw out any evidence from a witness whose credibility is suspect and as far as I am concerned, Ebou Jallow's utterances are no more credible to me since he has publicly apologised to Jammeh for wronging him.

Have a good day, Gassa.