By Baba Sillah
Former Finance Minister, Musa Gibril Bala Gaye, has told the Janneh Commission yesterday that the former government has never discussed the sales of the 50% share of Gamtel and Gamcel to the international company, Spectrum.
Mr Gaye, who was summoned with regard to the matters relation to national telecom company and its subsidiary, said there was no due process as some of the ministries were never involved in the negotiation as the former President Jammeh constituted his own negotiation team and he was not aware of the evaluation of Gamtel/Gamcel as the minister of finance at the time.
Mr Gaye further testified that he could not give evidence on the shareholders of Gamtel/Gamcel because they were only summoned and instructed to execute orders given by the former president.
He however testified that the normal practice in government was that government shares are held in the name of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance but was not sure whether due process was followed. He said on one-one basis, he advised the former president and he would heed to his advice.
“As minister of finance, I was empowered to advise the president”, said Gaye while responding to commissioner Saine but he said in the case of Spectrum the former president already took his decision.
“I don’t think it was prudent after the president took a decision I told him to change his decision despite being empowered by the National Assembly but the former president was doing things in his own way,” he told Commission.
