By Lamin Cham
Police yesterday confirmed the arrest of Saihou Drammeh, the general manager of Gam-Petroleum, the country’s only gas and fuel storage depot located at Mandinaring, Kombo North.
According to police spokesman Superintendent Lamin Njie, Mr Drammeh is being held in connection with a fuel transaction at Gam-Petroleum. He declined to give any further details on the matter, saying “the matter is being investigated”.
However, according to a credible source, the matter has to do with an “unauthorised” delivery of tonnes of fuel to two Gambian businessmen and the subsequent unaccounting of the payments.
According to our source, one of the businessmen paid for the fuel but the money was lodged into the account of a forex bureaux owner. The bureaux owner reportedly cashed the US$1.9 million and handed it to a lady working for one of the businessmen who took the fuel.
Our source said the forex bureaux owner reportedly told the police that he was asked to exchange the money into dollars.
Our source added that the lady is also being detained by the police.
“So the police are interested to know how the fuel was given in the first place without payment…” our source said.
Our source further added that the police investigators also want to know how the money meant for Gam-Petroleum was paid into the account of a forex bureaux owner and under whose instructions it was paid.
The Standard contacted one of the businessmen named in the matter but he declined to comment, saying he does not wish to prejudice police investigations.
