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| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Momodou |
Posted - 11 Jan 2019 : 22:05:47
“These are arms shipments reportedly intercepted by the authorities at the Banjul ports on Thursday 10th January 2019 is designated for GACH security company.
As you all may recall this is the same GACH company currently mining our Black sand at Sanyang, for export to China, Owned by one Abubacarr Jawara.
The same man also owns the GACH tomato paste factory.
Now he’s apparently into security, with these weapons addressed to the named security company.”
Source: FB
PRESS RELEASE
11th January 2019
The Office of the Inspector General of Police wishes to inform the general public that GACH SECURITY LIMITED situated at Fatou’s Gold Plaza, Bertil Harding Highway, Kanifing, The Gambia, applied for Gun Importation License in accordance with the Arms and Ammunitions Act to enable them import single barrel rifles for hunting and recreational purposes in The Gambia.
On arrival at the Banjul Seaport on Wednesday the 9th January, the shipment was subjected to routine security checks for the purpose of verification by security agents stationed at the Seaport. It was discovered that 38 of the guns were not the type authorised for importation as indicated on the packing list.
These guns are impounded by the Police and an investigation panel, consisting of personnel of the Gambia Police Force, State Intelligence Service and Gambia Armed Forces have been instituted to look into the circumstances surrounding the matter as to whether these are categories of hunting guns as claimed by the importer.
As the State Authority responsible for the granting of license under Arms and Ammunitions Act of the Gambia, the Office of the Inspector General of Police assures the general public that it will ensure national security is not compromised.
Meanwhile, the Office of the Inspector General of Police thanks the security agents for their diligence and professionalism.
ASP LAMIN NJIE
PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER
FOR:INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE |
| 15 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| toubab1020 |
Posted - 16 Jul 2020 : 17:35:09
NOT A GOOD IDEA !
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https://standard.gm/nam-wants-border-villagers-to-be-armed-against-robbers/
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By Momodou Darboe July 16, 2020
The vulnerability of Gambian border communities to armed attacks has forced a law-maker to make calls for the arming of the civilian population in those settlements to enable them take ownership of their security.
Gambian border settlements are proned to armed robberies and in some cases, livestock and substantial cash got carted away by bandits.
In an apparent show of despair and loss of confidence in the ability of the state to guarantee the lives and property of border settlers, the legislative representative for Sami constituency in the Central River Region on Monday told the House that rural Gambians on the borders require guns to fend off armed attacks.
“Definitely, we the rural people want hunting guns, especially those at the border. Every year, bandits attack my people. There was even a day when they came in broad daylight and opened fire,” Sami’s Sainey Ceesay told the House.
He went on: “Firearms [hunting guns] are very important to us as rural people. If you don’t have a gun, armed bandits will come and attack you but if they know you have a gun, they will not dare come closer to you.”
According to the Sami MP, his people have lost a significant number of heads of cattle to armed robbers.
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| Momodou |
Posted - 15 Jul 2020 : 13:51:22
NAMs blast firearm importer for violating gun laws
Standard: July 15, 2020
By Momodou Darboe & Mafugi Ceesay
https://standard.gm/nams-blast-firearm-importer-for-violating-gun-laws/
Some law-makers on Tuesday accused a famous Gambian business tycoon Abubacar Jawara of importing firearms into the country without observing the terms and conditions of the exportation license.
It would be recalled that the police in 2018 intercepted a container of 1263 guns at the ports in Banjul after which the government sanctioned an investigation through the National Assembly Select Committee on Defense and Security.
On Tuesday, the committee presented its report to the National Assembly where it received mixed reactions from members some of whom recommended tougher gun laws whilst others rallied support behind the GACH, saying the company is not guilty of any violations in bringing hunting guns into the country.
In his contribution to the debate on the assembly’s report on GACH 2018 gun saga, the member for Kombo South, Kebba K. Barrow sounded the alarm bell that proliferation of small arms in the country should be a cause for concern to all citizens, considering the fact that the country is still reeling from 22 years of dictatorship.
The majority leader went on to explain that the modus operandi of GACH must be clearly spelt out in its article of association/memorandum of understanding to explicitly indicate which business operations it could undertake as the CEO of the company currently has three business entities.
Suwaibou Touray of Wuli West reminded the House of the seizure of a container of firearms in Nigeria destined for The Gambia but under a false registration, saying the country must draw lessons from this.
The member for Kantora, Billay G. Tunkara, told the House that the license issued to GACH to import firearms into the country was contentious in scope and mode because it was a ‘blanket’ license. This, he argued, calls for a review of the 2009 Firearms Act to ensure the importation of firearms into the country is properly regulated.
Earlier on Monday, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice informed the National Assembly that GACH has been granted operational license by the prescribed authority to import firearms without ttached terms and conditions and therefore it could not find prima facie evidence to establish that the importer committed an offense by importing arms into the country.
But some lawmakers have been interrogating whether the intent of the license commensurates with the guns imported.
In her contribution to the GACH report, Fatoumatta K. Jawara of Tallinding said the license issued to GACH was a blanket one which does not stipulate the specification and quality of the arms. She said the company was authorized to import firearms and the ballistics examinations have shown that the arms were for hunting purposes.
Meanwhile, the National Assembly member for Lower Baddibu, Alagie Jawara, has urged both the defense and interior ministries to give explanation on the whereabouts of the 63 hunting guns that were confiscated from the GACH company.
Meanwhile, the National Assembly has rejected a request by government to extend the state of emergency for 45 days.
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| toubab1020 |
Posted - 04 Apr 2019 : 22:51:55
Not Foroyaa has taken the pulse but THE POINT is very interested,and rightly so.
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Thursday, April 04, 2019
Gambians from different walks of life have reacted to the recent conclusion of the police investigation into the importation of guns by a private security firm (GACH).
Police discovered that a consignment of guns discovered at the Banjul seaport on 9 January, 2019, belonged to GACH Security Company.
However, the police after a two-month investigation into the matter concluded that the proprietor of the company was innocent of any wrongdoing on the grounds that the said weapons were meant for hunting.
Recall: In the wake of the discovery of 13 suspicious weapons out of a total of 1,263 pieces of firearms packed in 252 boxes, The Gambia Police Force immediately launched an investigative panel to make a definitive determination, if the said weapons were indeed hunting guns as alleged by the importer Mr. Abubakary Jawara, or conventional weapons of warfare beyond the limits of his legally acquired hunting guns licence, through the Office of the Inspector General of Police, according to police in the aftermath of the investigation.
Ebrima A. Cham, a student at the University of The Gambia told The Point that any time the issue of guns is mentioned; more so in a country that has never heard of the importation of firearms for sale by a private company, attentions of the public can never be at comfort.
Despite the conclusion of police investigation that the weapons are tested and cleared of posing any harm to the public as they are purposely meant for hunting wild animals, it should only be in the hands of the national security forces and not any private individual or company for the purpose of hunting wild animals.
“So how I see it is that serious investigation should be launched by the police and ballistic arms experts and the State Intelligence Service (SIS) to make sure that those guns are not just only mere conclusions of investigation and that they are safe guns. Serious actions has to be taken to probe into the matter and make sure that those guns are in safe hands and use for their rightful purpose or again investigate in detail the main objective of bringing these guns into the country. So it should not be an ordinary investigation on the whole issue knowing that Gambians are still not in safe environment in selling of such guns without final investigation result from the security forces”.
For Sanna Saho, a nurse, it is true that there are people in the country who are still having guns in their possessions, further arguing that such guns should be well controlled and be monitored by the government in making sure they are in safe hands.
He acknowledged that globally guns are sometimes kept for individual security reasons and that The Gambia is not an exception. But, he added that it cannot be an exception as there is need for such arms to be legally under the thorough observation of the government.
“All guns that are locally made or are said to be legally imported should be lawfully allowed to individuals so that responsibility can be taken by those people who might do any illegal actions using such weapons against their very regulations as stated in the Act.”
“Just look at the recent fatal scenario involving the communities of Gunjur and Berending, where a locally made rifle was used to take away the life of an individual. Was there any effort done to know whether that gun was certified to use or not?” he added.
Author: Yusupha Jobe
http://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/article/gambians-react-to-outcome-of-police-gun-investigation
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| Momodou |
Posted - 29 Mar 2019 : 08:14:49
Pushed under the rug hoping that its forgotten.
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| toubab1020 |
Posted - 28 Mar 2019 : 21:40:38
I hope that Foroyaa has its finger on the pulse and maybe consider the "Silence " highlighted by Momodou by the IGP worthy of notice. |
| toubab1020 |
Posted - 26 Mar 2019 : 21:49:27
Momodou you are really on the ball: (Highlights from the Posting above)
"In short, 13 of the guns were found to be military grade, according to the IGP, after, he said, his office conducted a 2-month investigation employing the expertise of the various branches of the security establishment."
"Mr. Jawara certify in the EUC that the rifles will be used for the purposes stated. The release did not mention the brand name of the 13 military-grade and how are they going to be disposed of, if at all. The general public would like to know from the IGP as part of the overall effort to allay the fears of a very nervous population."
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| Momodou |
Posted - 26 Mar 2019 : 21:42:29
By Sidi Sanneh
Tuesday, March 26, 2019
IGP exonerates Abubakar Jawara of GACH of all criminal liability.
https://sidisanneh.blogspot.com/2019/03/igp-exonerates-abubakar-jawara-of-gach.html
The Inspector General of Police of The Gambia has exonerated Mr. Abubakar Jawara, the proprietor of the Gambia Angola China (GACH) of all criminal liability after a consignment of rifles was interdicted at the Gambia Port Authority facility.
The imported guns were characterized as hunting guns at the port of entry and upon inspection, according to the account of the IGP, only 13 of the 1,200 guns, plus 60 pump action attachments, "were suspected of being conventional weapons of warfare beyond the limits of the legally acquired hunting gun license."
In short, 13 of the guns were found to be military grade, according to the IGP, after, he said, his office conducted a 2-month investigation employing the expertise of the various branches of the security establishment.
The press release issued by the IGP is silent on the End User Certificate (EUC) which is the official certification normally issued by the authorizing agency, in our case, the Gambia Police Force as provided for under the Guns and Ammunition Act of 1924. The IGP must authenticate the End User Certificate which has the stamp of the importer with a signature, assumed to be authentic.
This omission is significant because the EUC provides vital details such as the end user or importer (A. Jawara), exporter (Afrimex, Turkey), description of the goods (1,200 Br-32s and BR-33s and 50 pump action*). The purpose of these weapons, according to the EUC, is for commercial sale and 'distribution for the purpose of recreational hunting.
Mr. Jawara certify in the EUC that the rifles will be used for the purposes stated. The release did not mention the brand name of the 13 military-grade and how are they going to be disposed of, if at all. The general public would like to know from the IGP as part of the overall effort to allay the fears of a very nervous population.
Since the stated purpose of these weapons is for commercial sale, there most be a method of accounting for them through documented sales receipts that will be subject to strict inspection by state authorities. The public must also be able to access this information. It is imperative that the IGP authenticate all of the articles that has been publicly displayed including but not limited to the End User Certificate, including the stamp of the Gambia Angola and China Company and the appended signature. |
| toubab1020 |
Posted - 26 Mar 2019 : 09:23:43
"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
Need I Write more !!! |
| Momodou |
Posted - 25 Mar 2019 : 22:49:11
We don’t need any guns in a country where cutlasses were sold out just two years ago during the political impasse. It’s scary how irresponsible allowing this to happen.
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| toubab1020 |
Posted - 25 Mar 2019 : 21:56:20
THe Experts and the Lawyers have agreed and made their decision,therefore the matter is concluded.
There can be no critism of The Gambian Police in taking such prompt action if there is the slightest indication that firearms my have been imported for an unlawful use. |
| Momodou |
Posted - 25 Mar 2019 : 20:16:09
Toubab, No hearing
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THE GAMBIA POLICE FORCE CONCLUDES INVESTIGATIONS INTO GACH SECURITY COMPANY’S SUSPICIOUS WEAPONS AT BANJUL SEAPORT
Following an exhaustive investigation into the cache of suspicious guns discovered at the Banjul seaport on 9th January, 2019, belonging to GACH Security Company, the Office of the Inspector General of Police wishes to inform the public that, the investigative panel comprising experts from the Gambia Police Force, the Army, and Intelligence Services has concluded its findings.
It can be recalled that in the wake of the discovery of 13 suspicious weapons out of a total of 1,263 pieces of firearms packed in 252 boxes, the Gambia Police Force immediately launched an investigative panel to make a definitive determination, if the said weapons were hunting guns as alleged by the importer Mr. AbubakaryJawara, or conventional weapons of warfare beyond the limits of his legally acquired hunting guns license, through the Office of the Inspector General of Police.
The office of the Inspector General of Police wishes to remind the public that importation of guns and ammunitions is regulated by the Arms and Ammunitions Act which was first promulgated by Act number 14/1924 and it went through a series of amendments culminating in Act number 12 of 2008, Cap 21:01, Revised Laws of the Gambia, 2009.
During the thorough investigation lasting almost two months, specimens of all the weapons were taken to a ballistics expert at the Gambia Armed Forces who upon comprehensive examination, concluded that all weapons are classified as hunting guns which can only use cartridges and not conventional ammunitions.
In view of the above circumstances, the prosecution of Mr. Abubakary Jawara, proprietor of GACH Security Company, on a charge of importation of non-hunting guns cannot be substantiated based on the findings of the ballistics expert and the legal advice that all guns submitted as specimen fall within the categories of hunting guns.
ASP LAMIN NJIE
PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER
FOR: INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE |
| toubab1020 |
Posted - 22 Mar 2019 : 21:11:20
Do We have a date of hearing ?
I have seen no notification of any date !
Any one on Bantaba in Cyberspace seen such a notification ?
"the case is before the court and he advised the parliament to suspend the question and wait for the outcome of the court after which they will report back to the Assembly of the whole house on their investigation which was unanimously agreed." |
| Momodou |
Posted - 22 Mar 2019 : 10:44:12
DEPUTIES INQUIRE ABOUT ILLEGAL IMPORTED GUNS BY GACH GROUP
by KEXX Sanneh
Members of the National Assembly have on Thursday 21st March, 2019 engaged the Minister of Interior, Honourable Ebrima Mballow about the issue of illegally imported guns by GACH.
GACH has some time in January this year imported guns illegally into the country which prompted the police to mount investigation about the whole issue. The report by the government indicated that it was 38 guns that the GACH imported but Hon. Bakary Camara told the Minister that from source, it was 264 guns that were imported by the GACH.
During the question and answer session in the Assembly, Honourable Bakary Camara asked the Minister of Interior to explain to the parliament the issue of guns which were imported into the country by the GACH.
“Hon. Speaker, can the Hon. Minister for Interior tell this August Assembly whether the Government intends to prosecute the owner of a company called GACH Group who imported guns into the country without any authorization”.
The Minister replied.
Minister Mballow explained that the office of the Inspector General of police granted Mr. Abubacarr Jawara, the CEO of GACH Group a license to import hunting gun and he has imported these guns in January 2019.
However, the Minister said Jawara included two(2) pieces magazine-fed, semi-automatic guns, three(3) cross-fire magazines-fed guns, and eight(8) pieces sentient F99T blank pistols that were not covered by the license. A ballistics expert did examine and confirmed that they are all hunting guns. After that question, the lawmakers made follow-up questions by asking the minister to provide a comprehensive explanation as it relates to the imported guns that were not part of the license.
The deputy speaker who was deputizing the speaker on the particular session, informed the members that the National Assembly Select Committee on Security has mounted an investigation into the matter, but they made to understand that the case is before the court and he advised the parliament to suspend the question and wait for the outcome of the court after which they will report back to the Assembly of the whole house on their investigation which was unanimously agreed.
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| toubab1020 |
Posted - 15 Jan 2019 : 16:55:47
GACH office clarifies in the statement reacting to reports circulating in both local and international media concerning interception of a ship load of Arms and ammunition said to have being their order. Below is the reactions:
Our attention has been drawn to reports going round of the interception by The Police of a container of firearms at the Seaport. Being the company at the centre of these reports, we deem it necessary to release this statement to shed light on events that are the subject of this report.
GACH Security is a duly registered company under the Laws of The Gambia, with the objective to provide private security for businesses and private households as well as deal in the sale of hunting and recreational firearms.
It would be recalled that for the past 9 decades the importation of firearms for hunting and recreational purposes has been regulated by the Arms and Ammunition Act CAP 21.01 of 1924. Under this Act holders of a valid firearm import license may import certain categories of light firearms for the purpose of hunting and recreation. In deed at various times, various businesses and individuals have held such licenses and have legally imported hunting guns for especially in the regions “provinces”, where wild hog (pig) hunting is very common and widely practiced, and also by farmers in scaring away large animals from destroying their groundnut and rice fields.
Having seen a demand for these hunting and recreational hunting, and with the knowledge that a scarcity of well-regulated hunting guns might lead to the smuggling and illegal ownership of guns from neighboring countries, we applied for a License to import firearms and ammunition. Having gone through a strict vetting process and having met the conditions, a license was granted on the 28th of September 2018.
We placed our first order of hunting guns following the legal process and submitted all relevant documents to customs authorities to facilitate the clearance of the hunting guns. Throughout this process we were transparent and no aspect of the importation process was shrouded in secrecy. If we had any sinister motives we would not have opted to use the Banjul Port knowing fully well of the high-Tech Scanning Machines and effective inspection measures put in place by the Gambia Customs.
The misunderstanding which is at the heart of this whole saga is that free samples were included in the shipment should we intend to place and order for such in the near future. These free samples included the following;
– Blank Pistols which are typically sold in sports and recreational shops. They utilize a blank ammunition which only makes a loud bang and does not have the ability to cause any harm. They are used by farmers to scare away animals and hippopotamus from destroying cash crops, due to the loud sound they make. They are also widely used in cinematic productions. These pistols which can be googled are safe and can cause no harm.
– The other category of weapons are hunting guns which use the regular hunting bullets with scatter pellets as opposed to a single brass or metal bullets. The misunderstanding came from the fact these weapons are shaped like Assault rifles, but are indeed regular hunting guns using regular hunting bullets. A google search comparison of “Mezzanine Fed Shotgun” as opposed to “Assault Rifle” will shed more light on the physical similarities but stark functional differences.
We have informed the authorities of this and submitted all necessary documentation to support our assertion. These free samples shipped without any ammunition were not meant for sale or use but merely as samples should we be interested in placing future orders.
In light of the above and being the responsible thing to do, GACH SECURITY wishes to take this opportunity to profusely apologize to the general public and the authorities for the alarm that this misunderstanding may have caused. We are well mindful of the current security situation coming out of such a trying period in our history as a nation and assure the public that our actions were not in any way meant to disrupt public peace and tranquillity.
We take this opportunity to applaud our able men and women of the Security Forces, the Gambian Police, the SIS and the Army for the swift and diligent way in which they are conducting their investigations. Their professionalism and swiftness in discovering this anomaly is an assurance that the security and peace of this nation is guaranteed.
In the meantime, are cooperating fully with the Authorities as the continue their investigations into this matter and remain available to clarify any concerns that the public might have. We pledge to continue acting as we have always done in line with the Laws in force. We thank the public for your kind attention. Any questions from the Press may be directed to: gachsec@publicist.com.
Thanks
Public Relations Department.
http://dailynewsgm.com/gach-security-shed-light-on-importation-of-guns-into-the-gambia/ |
| toubab1020 |
Posted - 14 Jan 2019 : 16:44:47
Monday, January 14, 2019
The GACH Security Ltd. situated at Fatou’s Gold Plaza, Bertil Harding Highway, Kanifing, has applied for Gun Importation Licence in accordance with the Arms and Ammunitions Act to enable them import single barrel rifles for hunting and recreational purposes in The Gambia, according to Office of the Inspector General of Police.
On arrival at the Banjul Seaport on Wednesday the 9th January, the shipment was subjected to routine security checks for the purpose of verification by security agents stationed at the seaport. It was discovered that 38 of the guns were not the type authorised for importation as indicated on the packing list.
These guns are impounded by the Police and an investigation panel, consisting of personnel of the Gambia Police Force, State Intelligence Service and Gambia Armed Forces have been instituted to look into the circumstances surrounding the matter as to whether these are categories of hunting guns as claimed by the importer.
As the State Authority responsible for the granting of license under Arms and Ammunitions Act of The Gambia, the Office of the Inspector General of Police assures the general public that it will ensure national security is not compromised.
Meanwhile, the Office of the Inspector General of Police thanks the security agents for their diligence and professionalism.
In a similar vein, GACH Security has equally reacted saying:
“Our attention has been drawn to reports doing media rounds of the interception by The Police of a container of firearms at the seaport. Being the company at the center of these reports, we deem it necessary to release this statement to shed light on events that are the subject of this report.
GACH Security is a duly registered company under the Laws of The Gambia, with the objective to provide private security for businesses and private households as well as deal in the sale of hunting and recreational firearms.
It would be recalled that for the past 9 decades the importation of firearms for hunting and recreational purposes has been regulated by the Arms and Ammunition Act CAP 21.01 of 1924. Under this Act, holders of a valid firearm import license may import certain categories of light firearms for the purpose of hunting and recreation. In deed at various times, various businesses and individuals have held such licenses and have legally imported hunting guns for especially in the regions “provinces”, where wild hog (pig) hunting is very common and widely practised, and also by farmers in scaring away large animals from destroying their groundnut and rice fields.
Having seen a demand for these hunting and recreational hunting, and with the knowledge that a scarcity of well-regulated hunting guns might lead to the smuggling and illegal ownership of guns from neighboring countries, we applied for a License to import firearms and ammunition. Having gone through a strict vetting process and having met the conditions, a license was granted on the 28th of September 2018.
We placed our first order of hunting guns following the legal process and submitted all relevant documents to customs authorities to facilitate the clearance of the hunting guns. Throughout this process we were transparent and no aspect of the importation process was shrouded in secrecy. If we had any sinister motives we would not have opted to use the Banjul Port knowing fully well of the high-Tech Scanning Machines and effective inspection measures put in place by the Gambia Customs.
The misunderstanding which is at the heart of this whole saga is that free samples were included in the shipment should we intend to place an order for such in the near future. These free samples included the following;
- Blank Pistols which are typically sold in sports and recreational shops. They utilise blank ammunition which only makes a loud bang and does not have the ability to cause any harm. They are used by farmers to scare away animals and hippopotamus from destroying cash crops, due to the loud sound they make. They are also widely used in cinematic productions. These pistols which can be googled are safe and can cause no harm.
- The other category of weapons is hunting guns which use the regular hunting bullets with scatter pellets as opposed to a single brass or metal bullets. The misunderstanding came from the fact that these weapons are shaped like Assault rifles, but are indeed regular hunting guns using regular hunting bullets. A google search comparison of “Mezzanine Fed Shotgun” as opposed to “Assault Rifle” will shed more light on the physical similarities but stark functional differences.
We have informed the authorities of this and submitted all necessary documentation to support our assertion. These free samples shipped without any ammunition were not meant for sale or use but merely as samples should we be interested in placing future orders.
In light of the above and being the responsible thing to do, GACH SECURITY wishes to take this opportunity to profusely apologize to the general public and the authorities for the alarm that this misunderstanding may have caused. We are well mindful of the current security situation coming out of such a trying period in our history as a nation and assure the public that our actions were not in any way meant to disrupt public peace and tranquility.
We take this opportunity to applaud our able men and women of the Security Forces, the Gambian Police, the SIS and the Army for the swift and diligent way in which they are conducting their investigations. Their professionalism and swiftness in discovering this anomaly is an assurance that the security and peace of this nation is guaranteed.
In the meantime, are cooperating fully with the Authorities as they continue their investigations into this matter and remain available to clarify any concerns that the public might have. We pledge to continue acting as we have always done in line with the Laws in force. We thank the public for the kind attention.”
http://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/article/police-shed-light-over-intercepted-guns |
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