FYI
Please read and heed this piece from Baba Jobe this is a clear manifestation that Jammeh is not doing any good for The Gambia.Read with keen interest and for God sake be reasonable enough.
Peace,
Lamin Manga
Luntang <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Baba Jobe talks
By PK Jarju
Feb 24, 2004, 12:40

Baba Jobe, chairman and CEO of the Youth Development Enterprise (YDE), yesterday testified before Justice MA Paul in the ongoing
economic crimes trial involving him and others.

Giving his evidence before a crowded courtroom which lasted over four hours, the House Majority leader said YDE was formed in 1995
with the aim of providing affordable, reliable and essential commodities as well as to empower youths in the country. He added that
his role as CEO was to make sure that policies drawn up by President Jammeh who is the company's financier, are properly implemented
in collaboration with Government by providing and stabilising essential basic commodities to the people.

"In doing so, YDE normally helds meetings with the authorities concerned, especially the Department of State for Finance to draw up
affordable prices for its [YDE] commodities. During these meetings, we normally agree that there must be a consensus from both
government allowing YDE to sell at a lower price in exchange for lower import duties," he said.

Mr Jobe said he always had meetings with SoS Famara Jatta and permanent secretary Dodou Bammy Jagne to discuss prices for every
consignment imported into the country by YDE. He added that although he receives instructions directly from President Jammeh to make
sure that YDE policies are implemented, President Jammeh had no hand in the implementation of those policies. "This is entirely left
with the Department of State for Finance and other institutions concerned like GPA," he said.

Mr Jobe said government has agreed to give a duty waiver on quarterly bases to YDE because of its contribution to the poverty
alleviation programme and that YDE did not pay duties because of the "gentleman's agreement" it had with the Department of State for
Finance.

He said as part of this agreements, YDE financed many government projects such as the crop financing of the 1998/99 season at a tune
of US$5 million as well as the financing of 176 vehicles provided by President Jammeh to government and the APRC at a cost of over
US$2.2 million. He said YDE, also under the instructions of President Jammeh, pre-financed the transportation of Cuban doctors
through the Department of State for Finance and the campaign materials for the APRC worth US$428,980. "YDE spent these monies on the
APRC because it was part of the APRC, which belongs to President Jammeh," he said.
This, according to him, showed that the relationship between YDE and Government "was not just an ordinary one. Directly or
indirectly, it was one arm of the government," he said.

Baba Jobe said he "totally disagreed" with the offences he has been charged with, "simply because the gentleman's agreement YDE had
with SoS Jatta and Bammy Jagne was still in place. The main objectives of YDE such as affordability, availability, stability and
youth empowerment were sold to them and they agreed," he said.
Mr Jobe noted that YDE has from 2000, stuck to the agreement with the authorities until they were dragged to court.

With regard to stability, he revealed that YDE had an agreement with the authorities to bring large quantities of essential
commodities like rice and sugar into the country which are stored in warehouses for six months or more in order to stabilise prices.
That he said, prevented events in the world market from reflecting [inimically] on the price of rice in the country.

He added that YDE has provided affordable essential commodities and up to the time of his arrest, a bag of rice cost not more than
D350 in any part of the country. "We are the highest importer of rice in the country for the past three years and we have the best
quality of rice," he said.

Mr Jobe stressed that by looking at the operations of YDE "logically, one cannot say it owed any money to government. If you tell me
to reduce my import value to enhance its affordability to Gambians and to subsidise my duties in turn for my contribution to poverty
alleviation for all these years and all of a sudden you turn and say I should pay despite the gentleman's agreement in place and YDE
being part and parcel of government, then we all know that there is a problem elsewhere. We all know were the problem is and despite
making all these expenses on government projects, we accepted the responsibility and started negotiations for payment," he said.

Mr Jobe said Customs & Excise have refused to accept invoices given to them by Buba Senghore on the ground that they had already
done their indicative value assessment and that using YDE's invoices would result to higher value. He added that GPA, Customs the
Department of State for Finance have never requested invoices from him and that YDE's application for direct delivery were always
sent to the office of the former director-general of Customs, Ousman Mboge by Buba Senghore. "Before processing the application, Mr
Mboge always asked Buba Senghore to talk with SoS Jatta and Dodou Bammy Jagne who after discussions with me act in accordance with
the gentleman agreement by contacting Mr Mboge who would grant us direct delivery," he explained.

He said he had a meeting with the present director-general of Customs, Momodou Kabba Tambajang during which they discussed the
previous arrangements YDE had with one Veronique [Carayol], a Customs officer to whom over US$500 was paid to. "This was why I was
very surprised when Customs failed to produce any document in court regarding the agreement we had," he said.
The case continues today with Baba Jobe expected to continue giving testimony.
© Copyright 2003 by Observer Company

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