By Tabora Bojang
Acting on a National Assembly resolution to furnish lawmakers with a comprehensive list of all fraud cases across government institutions, Vice President Muhammad BS Jallow has told NAMs that even though some cases are investigated and completed, some of the persons allegedly involved have absconded.
The National Assembly’s Finance and Public Accounts Committee passed a resolution in September last year resolving among others that government ministries, departments and agencies provide lawmakers with a comprehensive list of all fraud cases including names, amount, dates and the current status of each case.
Appearing before the plenary yesterday, Vice President Jallow provided an update on the following institutions; Gambia Immigration Department, Directorate of National Treasury, Department of Forestry, Parks and Wildlife, Gambian missions in Bissau and France, Brikama Health Centre, Brikama sub-treasury and Kerewan sub-treasury.
Updating on a fraud case involving the Immigration Department officers at the seaport, the VP said an investigation by the police revealed that visa fee amounting to D1,302,000.00 was received by the cashier but only D700,000.00 was paid to the Government Account leaving a balance of D602,000.00 unaccounted for.
He told NAMs that a follow up with the Ministry of Justice revealed that the perpetrators [Immigration officers] have been taken to court and the case is adjourned for judgement.
The vice president also disclosed that at the Directorate of National Treasury, some staff were involved in unauthorized withdrawal of public funds amounting to D4, 064,363.15. “This case was reported to the police for investigation, upon the completion of the investigation by the police, it was sent to the courts and the culprits were subsequently prosecuted,” he reported.
In the Brikama Health Center fraud case, VP Jallow disclosed that some revenue collectors including Yankuba Keita and others were collecting revenue and not banking it to the tune of D406,674.00.
“The said case was reported to the Police who are still working on the case. Whilst investigations are ongoing an amount of D319,000 has been recovered leaving a balance of D87,674.00.”
For the Brikama sub-treasury, the vice president stated that the case involved un-accounted revenue amounting to D6,592,172.50 by Faisal Bojang. According to him “the matter is at the courts, however we were informed that the accused has absconded.”
At the Kerewan sub-treasury, the VP said: “A case of fraud committed by Baboucarr Bojang to the tune of D2,136,327.61 was reported to the police for investigation, however up to the time of writing this report the case is still under investigation at the level of the police.”
He also stated there was another fraud case of unaccounted revenue at Janjanbureh sub-treasury involving Fakebba Bojang amounting to D521, 000.00 reported to the police and still under investigation.
Mission in Guinea Bissau
According to the VP, there was also a fraud case at the Gambian mission in Bissau involving one Baba Gomez who was allegedly involved in an unauthorised withdrawal of D390, 000.32. “This case is still under investigation at the level of the police, however the culprit is mentally imbalanced.”
Mission in Paris
The VP also disclosed there was a fraud case amounting to Euros 27,500 involving Faisal Bojang at the Gambia Embassy in Paris since 2014. “But upon completion of the investigation by the police, the case was forwarded to the court for prosecution. The case cannot proceed as the culprit has absconded.”
