By Arret Jatta
Presidential aspirant Essa Faal has broken his silence over allegations linking him to a D700,000 scam, saying the matter was “a debt dispute” involving a former supporter who contributed D3 million during his 2021 presidential election campaign.
In a video statement responding to the claims circulating online, Faal said the money was initially understood to be a campaign contribution but later became a repayment issue after the provider claimed it was a loan.
Faal said the provider of the funds played a major role in his election campaign and that he appreciated his contribution. However, he said several years later, the individual informed him that the money provided was not a donation but a loan that needed to be repaid.
“I told him, since it has gotten to this, I’ll pay you the money,” Faal said.
According to him, the bankroller claimed the total amount was D3 million. He said he accepted the claim and began making repayments gradually until the outstanding balance was reduced to D700,000.
Faal explained that when the man demanded payment of the remaining amount, he offered a piece of land as an alternative through intermediaries, but he later rejected the offer and requested cash instead.
He said he later received funds from Senegal and used part of the monies to settle the outstanding balance leaving a balance of D62,000 which he intended settle.
Rejecting claims that the matter amounted to a scam, Faal said it was simply a debt that he had acknowledged and agreed to settle. He said he’s owed about D50 million in The Gambia.
He accused unnamed individuals of attempting to tarnish his reputation, saying he had forgiven those responsible for spreading what he described as misleading claims.
The issue gained public attention after activist podcaster Fanta Tambedou discussed the matter during an interview with fellow podcaster Nfally Fadera where claims were made that a presidential candidate was linked to a D700,000 scam.
