The former project coordinator of the Gambia Emergency Agricultural Production Project, GEAPP, was first arraigned before the high court in Banjul about a year ago. He has been accused of not spending the entire 5.3 million euros grant from the World Bank, leaving unspent the sum of US$76,489 which the state prosecutors alleged was detrimental to the welfare of the Gambian people.
Mr Sosseh further faces charges of neglect of duty when he “failed to supervise the construction and rehabilitation of the Seed Multiplication Centre at Chamen, and recklessly paid D15,895,125 to the General Procurement Services (GPS) in spite of the shoddy construction and the rehabilitation works at the same place.” He denied any wrongdoing and is on bail at the sum of D20 million.
On Monday, Yassin Khan, who was acting as the coordinator of WAAPP, testified in the trial before Justice Amadi.
She told the court: “I cannot comment on the quality of the job at Chamen Seed Multiplication Centre. I don’t have the capacity to assess the quality of the work.”. The accused [Mr Sosseh] was the coordinator at the time of the rehabilitation. All of us were answerable to him. Upon the completion of the project, the accused approved the payment to General Procurement Service and inspection was done at the site.”
Asked by the prosecutor to explain to the court what was realised after the inspection was done, she said: “As far as I am concerned, the rehabilitation was all done. The area was fenced and the irrigation was expanded. After the implementation, I was made to understand there was some money left and was refunded to the donor but I cannot say how much.”
The trial will resume on May 21 for cross-examination.
By Binta Bah
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