21st September 2004
Bakary Njie Talks
By Ousman Darboe – Daily Observer
The former secretary of state for Communication, Information and Technology,
Bakary Kebba Njie, also the former managing director of Gamtel, yesterday told
the commission of inquiry probing the US$3 million fibre optic project signed
between Gamtel and Siemens of Germany that he became aware of the encashment
of the US$3 million bank guarantee through a letter written from Gamtel to the
department of state for Foreign Affairs.
"I became aware that the bank guarantee of US$3 million which was issued by
Standard Chartered Bank, Gambia, was encashed by Befag Ag, through a letter
written from Gamtel to the state department of External Affairs seeking
assistance from our ambassador in Brussels for the recovery of the encashed money. The
letter was not addressed to the Gamtel line ministry but was copied to us. I
would be able to recognise it when shown to me."
He identified the letter and said that after receiving the letter, he
summoned a meeting with the then chairman of the Gamtel board Momodou Senghore and
Abdourahman Mboob, former managing director.
"In my diary on 29 April 2003, I have a five point agenda for discussion. One
was by-passing the line ministry by Gamtel - not acceptable. The second was
the Befag case, the ministry was kept in darkness for six months and the other
point was the future relationship with Siemens concerning item three of my
agenda which was the Befag should be stopped until the outcome of this saga comes
to a successful conclusion," he said.
Mr Njie further said as SoS he was responsible for Gamtel and that he asked
the board chairman, Momodou Senghore why he was not involved to which he
replied "it was a very sensitive issue and they were trying to treat it
confidentially within themselves, MD Mboob and Foday Ceesay, finance director, while
actively pursuing all arrangements for the recovery of the money." He added that he
then told the board chairman that there should be no secrecy or
confidentiality in Gamtel beyond the knowledge of the responsible SoS and that after this,
his department was included in the privileged group.
Mr Njie who told the commission that he wrote a protest letter and called the
honorary consular of The Gambia to Germany, Mr Becker on the encashed US$3
million said he also spoke to the Gambian ambassador in Brussels on the issue
and "he told me that he is doing everything possible through the help of Mr
Becker."
The letter of correspondence between him, the ambassador and the consular was
produced and tendered as an exhibit.
Mr Njie said prior to his sacking in October 2003, he had nothing to do with
the US$3 million saga, and, that between August 2002 and March 2003, he was
not aware that a bank guarantee was encashed. "I became aware of this encashment
in March 2003," he noted.
Bakary Njie said upon his appointment as SoS for Communication, Information
and Technology no one was appointed to act as acting managing director of
Gamtel but that he handed over to the deputy managing director, Phoday Sisay. "I
prepared handing over notes. In the notes, I highlighted the fibre optic project
in page three," he added.
He said at the time, Befag were introduced to Gamtel by Siemens because of
the difficulties Gamtel encountered in funding the fibre optic project and that
Befag was not cross-checked before the signing of the contract as Siemens is
an internationally renowned company.
The former managing director of Gamtel said he has been with the company
since its inception in April 1984 and that prior to that, he was the director of
the telecommunications department. "I have worked for Gamtel since 1965 and in
1984 I was appointed managing director when it was newly established which
merged the functions of Gambia telecommunication department and the cable and
wireless department. I retired effectively on the 30 June 1999'" he added.
Momodou Senghore,
Momodou Senghore, the general manager of Taf Holding Corporation told the
commission probing the US$3 million contract signed between Gamtel and Siemens of
Germany that at seventh session of the board meeting, approval was given to
the Gamtel management for a US$3 million loan agreement with Standard Chartered
Bank Gambia.
Testifying before the commission last Tuesday, Mr Senghore a shareholder of
Standard Chartered Bank, Gambia also served as the chairman of Gamtel board of
directors between May 2002 and September 2003. He said he was appointed as
chairman of the Gamtel board by the President.
Mr Senghore further said he was aware that Gamtel entered into two contracts
with Siemens and Befag Ag in 2001.
On the encashment of the bond guarantee, he said, "I was personally informed
of the bond encashment by Abdourahman Mboob the former managing director a few
days after the encashment. When Mboob informed me, I advised him to handle
the matter sensitively because of the potential political implication. Sensitive
matters discussed at the management and board level were routinely leaked to
not only the staff but non staff. Mboob had agreed with me that some people
can use this type of information if they don't have the complete picture or
slant it to suit their own agenda."
Mr Senghore said that the board was shocked when they were told about the
bond encashment, and that "the response from people was how could this have
happened? I must also say that at this stage very few facts were available."
He further added that for confidentiality, the management was informed but
the details "were mainly confined to myself, MD Mboob, Foday Ceesay finance
director, Penda Dibba, Gamtel's line ministry and the Office of the President."
He added that soon after the encashment of the US$3 million bond, Standard
Chartered Bank, Gambia demanded payment from Gamtel and that if the management
of Gamtel followed up on the board's decision to pursue Siemens to court, "we
would possibly have obtained results by now. I think legal opinion was sought
and obtained that Gamtel has a true case against Siemens of Germany."
Gamtel, he said, signed a contract with Siemens to deliver 230,000 new lines
at the end of the project and Gamtel needed to raise funding to the tune of
Euro 15 million, for the first phase. "It was proving difficult. The financiers
there were very wary of the credit risk because of the US$3 million bank
guarantee," he said.
Mr Senghore further said that up to the time he resigned from the Gamtel
board, he had not seen any documents stating whether or not Gamtel had accepted
liability of the US$3 million.
The former Gamtel board chairman said he has been a shareholder of Standard
Chartered Bank, Gambia since 1978 but regarded suggestions of a conflict of
interest as "utter insult to my integrity. I was first offered a directorship of
the bank in 1995 and I turned it down because at that time I was the chief
executive officer and managing director of Shell Marketing and Shell being a
customer of Standard Bank, I felt there was a potential for conflict of interest.
While I was serving as the chairman of board of directors of Nawec, I was
concurrently serving as managing director of Shell."
Mr Senghore further said he did recommended a loan agreement to the committee
but that before signing the loan agreement with Standard Chartered Bank,
Gambia the board in discussed it at meetings and that there were no objections to
the loan agreement with Standard Chartered Bank.
His letter of appointment letter as the chairman of Gamtel board of directors
was tender and marked as exhibit 69.
Wahh Duul! Noppi Deyh! Yahya's interpretation: Absolutely, no dissenting
voice against Yahya or A[F]PRC, or NIA thugs will beat, maimed or kill victim;
Being apolitical or intimidated, ultimate faith is Suddent Death Syndrome, #1
killer of Gambians since July 22, 1994
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