IGP Seedy Mucktarr Touray
By Buba Gagigo
A police investigation into the December 2019 fire at the Ministry of Fisheries and Water Resources has cleared the then-Minister, James Gomez, and Deputy Permanent Secretary (DPS), Omar SM Gibba, of any involvement in the incident. The report indicates that the fire was caused by an electrical short circuit.
The fire, which broke out on December 2, 2019, at the Ministry’s headquarters, was traced to the minister’s office. According to the police report, the fire originated from the office toilet, where a store holding old records and curtains was engulfed in flames. During the investigation, twelve ministry employees were interviewed.
“It is established that on the 2nd December 2019 at 11:00 am the Minister of Fisheries and Water Resources (James F Gomes) was in a meeting in his office with his DPS (Omar SM Gibba) when they noticed a fume of smoke coming out of his office toilet end. Investigation revealed that the duo rushed towards the toilet door and saw a fire blazing in a store used to keep old record files and old curtains between the toilet and the Minister’s Office. It is established that the priority of both the orderly and DPS was to evacuate the minister out of the danger zone that was preceded by an alert signal notifying all staff of eminent danger,” the police report said.
The police Investigation also revealed that most of the occupants of the building had no time to rescue anything due to the intensity of the blazing fire. The report also indicated that That the response of the Fire Services regardless of the subsequent backup, could not mitigate the damage as the best part of the building was destroyed due to the intensity of the inferno.
“The investigation revealed that the entire Office of the Minister of Fisheries and Water Resources (James F Gomes) was burnt to ashes and the following items perished; office desk, executive chair, desktop computer, printer center table, single executive chair, conference table and chair, refrigerators, filling cabinets, cupboard television, air conditioners,” the report said.
The investigation further revealed that the Office of the Director of Water Resources (Lamin Mai Touray) was completely burnt and the following items were consumed in the fire; executive chairs and the desk, visitors chairs, refrigerator, printers, desktop computer, air conditioner, filling the cabin, D25, 000.00 (twenty-five thousand dalasi) worth of atlas fuel coupon, ferry crossing coupon worth D1400 (one thousand four hundred), access bank saving booklet, IFMIS computer, a telephone set and among other things.
“Investigation further revealed that the office of the Principal Secretary to the Minister (Begay s Jeng) was equally affected and the following items got burnt: two (2) computer sets, two (2) printers, four (4) files one (1) refrigerator, one (1) photocopier, one (1) mobile phone, and one (1) electric kettle. The investigation also revealed that the office of Nyima Sambou-Jabang (Confidential Secretary to the Minister) was equally affected and the following items got burnt in the incident, desktop computer, furniture, flat screen TV set, electric kettle, UPS, coffee table, personal files as well as closed and current confidential files,” the report states.
“The Investigation further revealed that two hundred and sixteen (216) files were burnt in the inferno and they are as outlined in the statement of the record officer. The report also established that many interconnected electrical cables were hanging from the ceiling of the store to the toilet side and the pipes of the Minister’s air conditioner that passed through the minister’s toilet were sometimes destroyed [chewed] by rats which resulted in leakage of water.
“It is also established through witness revelations, that once in a while, the wiring within the building developed a short circuit causing damage to IT equipment and sockets. The expert report from NAWEC revealed that there were no distribution iircboxes for fault protection; but that the electricity meters supplying the installation were found to be intact. The report from the Fire Services also suggests electrical short circuit as a possible cause of fire,” the report shows.
Following the above revelations, the police report concluded that the fire outbreak was not linked to arson.
“Evidence gathered undoubtedly established that the fire started within the Office perimeters of the Honorable minister while he was in a meeting with DPS Omar Gibba. This had been confirmed by DPS Gibba who unreservedly stated that he was in the minister’s office when smoke/fire started from the toilet/stores wildly advancing towards the rooftop. This revelation suggests that neither the minister nor his immediate staff could be associated with the starting of the fire,” the report said.
The report said evidence from some of the staff of the ministry namely Fatoumata Bah, a procurement officer and Ebou Bah, an electrician further established the occasional incidence of short circuits resulting in damage to IT equipment.
“There was an occasion where a UPS exploded due to an electrical short circuit according to Fatoumata Bah. This could be a likely cause of fire depending on the intensity of electricity flow. The panel reasonably believed that the fire started from the space where the closed files and unused curtains were kept. Also, this is the same place where the electric wires and their water pipes from the minister’s two air conditioners passed,” the report said.
The report also said the panel received two expert views from the Fire and Rescue Services and NAWE on the possible cause of the fire.
“The Fire and Rescue Services investigation report dated 05th October 2020 revealed that the cause of the fire was an apparent electric short circuit; whereas the NAWEC report could not establish the cause of the fire but confirmed that the meters supplying electricity to the installation were intact. However, the report further revealed the lack of distribution boxes for fault protection. The report further indicated that to ensure the protection of standard installation demands the wiring scheme to have to install distribution boxes. Analyzing the two reports, the panel is of the view that the suggestion of “electrical short circuit as the cause of the fire” as indicated in the Fire and Rescue Service report appeared likely to be the cause of the fire,” the report said.
According to the report, this proposition is also supported by the NAWEC report which they said indicated amongst other things the lack of distribution boxes for fault protection.
“Distribution boxes are recommended in all installations for wiring fault discrimination as coded from the NAWEC report. The Panel is convinced with the suggestion that the fire happened accidentally with no malicious intention; but rather an electrical short circuit as posited by the two mentioned expert views. There is nothing suggesting criminal negligence or foul play at the level of the minister or by extension; any other staff of the ministry. The presence of one of his DPS in the Office when the fire started vindicated him of any responsibility. The Panel also believed that both the minister and the DPS who were in the minister’s office at the time had no hand or idea about the cause of the fire,” the report said.