Nearly two weeks after his recall by the ministry of foreign affairs, the deputy head of mission in Mauritania Jerreh Jammeh has defied the directive, saying he is not coming home or handing over his post ‘because his removal is cooked in conspiracy.’
According to his letter of recall, from the ministry of foreign affairs, Jammeh is alleged to have spent on his personal expenses some 5000 dollars donated to the Gambian community by President Barrow during a visit to Nouakchott in January.
The money was entrusted in Mr Jammeh’s care until it is distributed to the community.
“Instead of keeping the money for the owners, you decided to spend it on personal expenses. Following your own admission that you spent the money meant for the community on your personal expenses, the ministry wrote to recall you back home,” a letter addressed to Jammeh from MoFA stated.
However Mr Jammeh argued that he spent the money helping a sick person travel to Turkiye for treatment and has told this information to the ambassador and colleagues and offered to refund it from his salary to which everyone agreed.
However, according to him, soon after the meeting, some people in the embassy already started sharing the information online accusing him of misusing the funds donated by the president and with the help of some people in Banjul, a conspiracy was hatched to use that against him.
Mr Jammeh argued that the money in question is not public money but a donation by the president and he has offered to pay it.
Asked if he is still working, Mr Jammeh replied:
“I am right now in my office. My removal was cooked by people who want my job here in the embassy in connivance with some in Banjul,” he alleged. Asked if his salary is stopped, Mr Jammeh said no, but said all his allowances have been stopped.
A memo addressed to Mr Jammeh from the Embassy instructed him to hand over to Saikouba Jarjue but the deputy ambassador replied that he would not do that because no communication has reached him from the ministry of foreign affairs stating that Mr Jarju has been appointed to replace him.
