Mint man charged with fraud plot 

Simon Bowers
Tuesday April 27, 2004
The Guardian <http://www.guardian.co.uk>  

A former Royal Mint executive yesterday appeared before Bow Street
magistrates court in London on a conspiracy charge relating to an
alleged attempt to defraud the organisation of an undisclosed sum over a
period of five years. 
Hector Williamson, 64, a former regional sales director with the Mint,
is accused of having conspired with Junkung Bayo, believed to be a
former official at the Central Bank of Gambia, to disguise an
embezzlement scam as a series of legitimate payments. 
The Serious Fraud Office said the two men had "dishonestly represented"
the payments made by Birmingham Mint, the world's largest independent
mint, into a London bank account believed to be controlled by Mr Bayo.
The transfers were later to be reimbursed by the Royal Mint. 
"It was their intention that Mr Williamson should have a share of
payments," the SFO said in a statement. The conspiracy is said to have
started some eight years ago and to have come to an end in February
2001. 
Mr Bayo is understood no longer to work for the Central Bank of Gambia,
which has a contract with a British mint for the production of coinage.
His whereabouts are unclear, but he is thought to be living in Gambia -
beyond the reach of the SFO. 
Britain does not have an appropriate extradition treaty with Gambia
covering conspiracy to defraud offences. 
Mr Williamson, who did not enter a plea, is also charged with stealing
£45,000 on dates in 1992, 1995 and 1997. Magistrates bailed him to
appear at Southwark crown court on May 17. 
The SFO was called in to investigate allegations of fraud at the Royal
Mint two years ago at the request of the Treasury. The investigation has
been helped by Ministry of Defence police. 

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