By Alagie Manneh
& Baba Sillah
Prince Ebrahim Sanyang, the managing director of the Royal Africa Holdings who was called to testify at the Janneh Commission yesterday, has responded to the commission saying it is impossible for him to honour their invitation yesterday.
It is practically impossible for me to appear on the same date a summon was issued as suggested in your letter, Sanyang told the Janneh Commission.
He also complained that he had answered an earlier invitation on July 16 but no hearing took place and he never heard from the commission until Monday when they wanted him to appear the same day or within 24 hours.
Sanyang urged the commission to give him a fairer date on which he would gladly attend.
He again complained that his companies were the first to be frozen by what he called a “preemptive order” by the Minster of Justice which resulted in very adverse effect on his company’s international reputation.
Testimony
Meanwhile Ardy Sarge, an hotelier and proprietor of Bungalow Beach and Sarge’s Hotels, yesterday appeared before the Commission to explain how he became involved in the affairs of the Jammeh Foundation for Peace.
He said he got involved in 2002 through a letter from the office of the former vice president as a member of the technical committee before he was finally appointed as a member of the board.
He further testified that he was never chairperson of the foundation and during his time he was never paid salary or any other benefit by the foundation.
Mr Sarge further told the enquiry that he was co-opted by the former vice president, Isatou Njie-Saidy as part of the technical committee before he was subsequently appointed as chairman of the fund raising committee.
He confirmed being a signatory to the accounts of the foundation at various banks, further testifying that the purpose of the foundation was to pay school fees for students from fundraising.
He claimed that he did not know the legal implication of being a member of the foundation.
He recalled that the former president was not a signatory to the accounts of the foundation.
Sarge informed the commission that the foundation was funded through gala dinners and philanthropists like the late Father Gough.
Mr Sarge said he was not aware of any funds from Taiwan that was deposited into the foundation’s account or from Euro Africa Group nor was he aware of any withdrawal by the former president.
He said he could not remember signing a cheque in 2002 and that the former vice president insisted that there should be a management report. He noted that he was not active for the past years, and that he could remember Nancy Njie and Ansumana Jammeh as the CEOs of the foundation.
At that juncture a letter dated 5 January 2012 was shown to him, indicating the transfers of US$150,000 and US$4000 respectively. In response he said that was the first time he saw the letter.
Abdoulie Cham, a former finance director at the Central Bank also faced the enquiry to explain how the sum of US$268,000 was transferred to KY Best from the CBG.
He said that he did not see any written instruction to transfer the said money to Mr Best.
Sulayman Suso, the managing director of Gamtel also reappeared to explain the contract between Gamtel and the National Assembly.
Sittings continue today.
