By Arret Jatta
A piece of land that the Banjul City Council said was leased to Charbel Elhajj for D2 million was discovered to have been sold to another entity, NK Stores, by Charbel for D15 million in less than six months, the Local Government Commission heard yesterday.
Former BCC Chief Executive Officer Mustapha Batchilly was called back to ascertain some matters from the testimony of Charbel Elhajj. Mr Batchilly confirmed that the lease is for 30 years.
Lead Council Patrick Gomez informed Mr Batchilly that the Commission’s stance in the matter is that the deal is suspicious because even before Charbel Elhajj got the transfer papers of the land, he sold it to NK Stores.
“There appeared to be a conspiracy between the BCC, the mayor, and you Mr Batchilly may be part of it or may not be part of it, but it is illegal. It is a crime”, Lead Counsel Gomez told Batchilly.
Gomez said Charbel claimed to have partners but could not provide evidence to prove it, adding that it is ‘curious’ for one to pay D2 million for a business that never even started.
“No documentation, no feasibility studies no pre-agreement. One does not have to be smart to know that that is a dubious practice, Mr Batchilly, and at the level of the BCC, you are supposed to do due diligence,” Lead Counsel pressed CEO Batchilly.
According to Charbel Elhajj ,the land is situated at Bund Road behind the National Assembly.
He said when his other business partners inspected the land, they were no longer interested in it and he decided to sell the land to NK stores.
“How much did you sell the land to NK stores,” Lead Counsel Patrick Gomez asked Charbel.
“D15 Million,” he replied.
When asked why he sold it for that amount, Charbel replied: “It is business”.
Charbell said over D12 million has been paid so far from the sale to NK Stores.
“How did you even sell land that was not transferred to you yet?” Counsel Gomez asked Charbel. He replied: “What I agree with NK stores I asked the CEO of BCC if they could enter into an agreement with NK Stores and they told me yes, and that I have to write to them officially because I had paid D2 million to the bank,” Charbel said.
He further explained that he also had a meeting with NK stores and BCC together.
The witness claimed he had asked to get his D2million back from the BCC before selling to NK Stores but Lead Counsel Gomez told him that could not be true. Gomez maintained that his deal was to get the land from BCC at D2million and then make D13miilon out of it.
