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Momodou
Denmark
11521 Posts |
 Posted - 04 Oct 2022 : 11:06:35
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A parliamentary committee should investigate the allegations surrounding the D11 million fraud at the Judiciary!
In February 2022, I received information about massive financial malpractice at the Judiciary department involving the administrator of the Judicial Services. The contact alleges that Judicial Secretary is Isatou Jallow - Sey, a lawyer and Master of the high court. Sheriff Tabally, also a lawyer, might be implicated in the scandal; the contact also said that there’s a rumour that Chief Justice Mr Hassan B Jallow is covering up the scandal to protect the Judicial Secretary.
Due to the seriousness of the allegations and the critical role the Judiciary plays in the checks and balance system of our democracy, I took a keen interest in investigating the claims to find the evidence to hold the institution accountable and, at the same time, exercising great caution as I didn’t want to undermine the trust and confidence in our Judicial system inadvertently.
I reached out to a trusted contact on The Gambia Bar association, someone who had a previous close working relationship with the Judicial Secretary, Isatou Jallow, to test the merit of the allegations. The information from my contact encouraged me to follow through with the investigation.
I launched the investigation by applying the simple strategy of posting a piece of limited information about the allegation in the form of making enquiries on my Facebook timeline to agitate a reaction and get leads from inside the judiciary department.
After a couple of times trying, The strategy paid off. A source that has a working relationship with the judicial secretary's office reached out to confirm the allegations and told me that he heard the allegations the judicial secretary was at the Center of alleged financial malpractice. Still, she’s being protected by the Chief Justice Mr Hassan B Jallow, and an accounts clerk, Mr Ebrima Denny Cham, was the only person suspended.
The investigation became interesting because it was around the same time, it appears that Mr Ansumana Bah, a procurement officer of the judiciary, was the Principal complainant to the police, making allegations of bribing the central bank staff with D11 million for them to help facilitate a money laundry operation worth an estimated D155 million.
I used the additional information gathered on the Central Bank Scandal to make enquiries on my Facebook timeline to agitate for further evidence if the allegations charged against the Central Bank case have any links to the claims of financial misconduct at the Judiciary, considering that Mr Bah the principal complainant works in a financial capacity at the judicial department. I was checking if it was a coincidence or if the two cases are linked.
Nothing new came out of my investigations. It hit a dead end. I paused my inquiry, waiting for a piece of vital information to appear before I could pursue it further.
Last month around the 12th of September, a new piece of information surfaced from a publication in the standard newspaper headlined Police investigating a D11 million fraud allegation at the judiciary; the article was a police response to an enquiry to confirm that the police were investigating the judiciary department.
The new piece of information reignited my interest in following the investigations. Still, a few days later, The Office of the Chief Justice stated in a press release that the allegations of mismanagement of D11 million within the Judiciary are false.
They further noted that they discovered an attempted fraud in 2021, and the judiciary administrator took the necessary actions accordingly with intervention from the Central Bank and Senior Management of the Judiciary. Which led them to report the matter to the Police on the 15th of December 2021, and the staff member concerned got suspended pending the conclusion of Police investigations.
The day after the Judiciary sent out its press release claiming the allegations to be false, the case took a new turn as the ALKAMBA TIMES newspaper published a statement attributed to the police spokesperson, Cadet ASP Binta Njie, confirming to the Alkamba Times that the Police special investigations unit has completed its investigation into the alleged missing D11 million in the judiciary. The police sent the report to the Attorney General’s chambers for legal advice.
Is there a contradiction between the police statement and the Judiciary?
Why would the judiciary conclude the investigation by ruling it false and an attempted fraud?
Is an attempted fraud in an institution especially as sensitive as the justiciary not to be taken as a crime?
Why would the police seek legal opinion from the AG if they didn’t suspect wrongdoing?
I learned that Ebrima Denny Cham, the sole person suspended in the saga, is returning to work next week.
Additionally, Ansumana Bah, the procurement officer claiming to be a member of a criminal Syndicate engaged in bribing the central bank official, was never suspended from his job in the judiciary.
How can the judiciary condone a person under severe criminal investigation to continue working with such lousy character for the Judiciary?
I will conclude, based on investigations, that it is highly likely that a financial crime is being committed at the judiciary, and Chief Justice Hassan B Jallow should be held accountable as the head of the institution as it indicated that his office is involved in an elaborate coverup of a massive financial crime.
That is why I will suggest a parliamentary committee conduct an independent enquiry to determine the facts of the investigation for possible prosecution and redress.
The AG Chambers has a conflict of interest in this matter. It could be seen as undermining justice delivery. Also, in their review of the police case file, if the Justice ministry detects a crime committed by the Judiciary and strikes a deal to cover the corruption, that will make the AG merit Quid pro quo when they face the bench!
If you are still reading this, you must have found it interesting, and please visit the Facebook Page “Open Gambia” Gambian Platform for National Dialogue. Like, follow and share our stories.
Article contributed by Sulayman Ben Suwareh.
@04/10/2022
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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Momodou
Denmark
11521 Posts |
Posted - 04 Oct 2022 : 15:12:37
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JUDICIARY DENIES D11M FRAUD ALLEGATIONS
OCTOBER 3, 2022
By Omar Bah
https://standard.gm/judiciary-denies-d11m-fraud-allegations/
The Office of the Chief Justice has denied allegations of mismanagement of D11 million involving a judicial staff.
Two weeks ago, police spokesperson, Cadet ASP Binta Njie, told The Standard the police special investigations unit has been probing the alleged D11 million fraud at the Judiciary.
But in a statement on Friday, the Chief Justice said “no such cash has been stolen from the judiciary funds. That is not the case. The Judiciary has not lost any such funds.”
The CJ’s office further said the reports of corruption are of significant concern to the Judiciary as they create the impression that the Judiciary has stolen or defrauded of the said amount.
“What appeared to be an attempt to defraud the Judiciary was discovered by the Judiciary in 2021, and necessary actions were taken accordingly. The intervention of the Central Bank and Senior Management of the Judiciary thwarted the attempted fraud,” the statement from the CJ’s office read.
According to the CJ’s office, the Judiciary reported the matter to the police on the 15th December 2021 and the staff member concerned was sent home pending the conclusion of Police investigations.
Police spokesperson, Cadet ASP Binta Njie, has confirmed that the Police special investigations unit has completed its investigation into the alleged fraud and submitted its report to the Attorney General’s chambers for legal advice. Asked when the report was submitted to the AG Chambers, PRO Njie said she would need time to find out. |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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A parliamentary committee should investigate
