The Government of The Gambia has revoked the contract of the Gambia Multi-Media Gateway International, MGI.
The contract, which empowers the Swiss company to collect international call termination fees on behalf of Gamtel was terminated effective Friday reliable sources, told The Standard yesterday.
According to our sources, the decision to terminate the contract was conveyed to the company over the weekend.
The Standard contacted Information and Communications Infrastructure Minister Demba Jawo who confirmed the development.
‘Yes that is true and now Gamtel has taken over the gateway collection,” Minister Jawo said.
It is not publicly stated what reasons led to the decision but the contract has recently been a subject of a hot debate after the new government claimed monies accrued from the Gate way project were diverted by the former President Yahya Jammeh.
According to the Finance minister, Amadou Sanneh it was discovered that the Gamtel ltd Gateway Termination Revenue had been siphoned by the former President.
The incomes emanating from international incoming and outgoing traffic are generated through this gateway and initially used by Gamtel, who is managing the Gambia’s Gateway project on behalf of the government, to offset its costs and loans.
“However, the management of the gateway was contracted to third parties over the years, spectrum, system1, Tel. and MGI. Currently the government through Gamtel is having a five-year contract with MGI from 2014 to 2019.
“Fellow Gambians, the incomes generated by this project were diverted from Gamtel to an account—International Gateway account at the Central Bank of the Gambia from the 13 September 2013 to 4 July 2014. This account had an accumulated deposit for this period US$5,421,732.91 of which US$5,421,440.61 was withdrawn leaving a balance of only US$292.37,” Mr Sanneh had alleged a few months ago.
