His Excellency Muhammad BS Jallow, the Vice President of the Gambia
By Ramatoulie Jawo
His Excellency Muhammad BS Jallow, Vice President of the Gambia, made revelations regarding fraudulent activities within government institutions during his appearance before the National Assembly on Tuesday, March 12, 2024.
VP Jallow addressed the lawmakers in response to a resolution passed by the National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance and Public Accounts (FPAC). The resolution, dated September 18, 2023, mandated ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) to furnish the FPAC with a detailed list of fraudulent cases across various government entities, notably the Accountant General’s office, the Auditor General’s office, the Inspector General of Police, and the Judiciary. These submissions were expected to include names, amounts, dates, and the current status of each case. Failure to comply would prompt the Inspector General of Police to initiate an investigation within 90 days and report to the FPAC accordingly.
During his address, VP Jallow disclosed that the Gambia Immigration Department had reported a fraud incident involving officers stationed at the seaport to the police. Subsequent investigations revealed discrepancies in visa fee collection, with D1,302,000.00 received by the cashier, but only D700,000.00 deposited into the government account, leaving D602,000.00 unaccounted for. Legal proceedings are underway, with the perpetrators currently facing trial.
“Investigation by the police revealed that a 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. A follow-up with the Ministry of Justice reveals that the perpetrators have been taken to court and the case is adjourned for judgment,” he said.
He stated that Yankuba Keita and other revenue collectors at Brikama Health Center were neglecting to deposit collected revenue amounting to D406,674.00. The matter was reported to the police, who are currently investigating. Thus far, D319,000 has been recovered, leaving a remaining balance of D87,674.00.
Additionally, there is a fraud case concerning unaccounted revenue totaling D6,592,172.50 at the Brikama Sub-Treasury. Faisal Bojang, from the Brikama Sub-Treasury, mentioned that the case is pending in court, but they have been informed that the accused individual has fled.
“Kerewan Sub-Treasury: A case of fraud committed by Baboucarr Bojang at Kerewan Sub-Treasury 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 told the members.
He stated that certain employees of the Directorate of National Treasury engaged in unauthorized withdrawals of public funds from the old TMA, totaling D4,064,363.13. He mentioned, “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.”