Gamtel Staff Face Economic Crime Charges

Three staff members of Gamtel, Ebrima Bandeh, Adama Ceesay and Sheikh Gaye were on Thursday 16th October 2008 arraigned before the Kanifing Magistrates' Court on various economic crime charges.

According to count one, Ebrima Bandeh, in April, May and June 2008 in Abuko, being the Director of Multimedia Services of Gamtel, did wilfully cause the loss of D197, 239 to Gamtel. (Being the revenue loss suffered by Gamtel from international calls diverted through a sim-box illegally installed on Gamtel facilities by Mr. Bandeh).

In count two, Ebrima Bandeh in April, May and June 2008, in Abuko did wilfully cause the loss of D15, 000 to Gamtel.  It is the value of the 2-mega bytes (E1) International Cable Link that he illegally removed from the Billing Department of Gamtel to facilitate the functioning of the said Sim-box unlawfully installed by him.

According to count three Ebrima Bandeh, in the same period and place, did wilfully cause the loss of D15, 000, 000 to Gamtel. It is the revenue loss suffered by Gamtel, when he illegally removed a 2-mega bytes (E1) International Link from the Billing Department to facilitate the functioning of an unauthorised sim-box installed by him, thus hampering the normal issue of customers' bills.

Count four stated that Ebrima Bandeh, in the same period and place did wilfully cause the loss of D1, 228, 895 to Gamtel. It is the loss suffered by Gamtel when the sim-box he illegally installed on Gamtel facilities caused the breakdown of the entire Internet system of The Gambia.

Count five indicated that Adama Ceesay, Sheikh Gaye being employees of Gamtel, acted in collaboration with Ebrima Bandeh to install an unauthorised sim-box on Gamtel facilities, thereby committed an offence.

Count six indicated that Adama Ceesay and Sheikh Gaye acted in collaboration with Ebrima Bandeh to remove a 2-mega bytes (E1) International Link from the Billing Department of Gamtel.

The accused persons are yet to take their pleas.

However the state prosecutor told the court that the charges are temporary, adducing that investigations are still ongoing.

Lamin Mboge, defending the first accused, Ebrima Bandeh, applied to the court to grant the accused persons bail, but the trial magistrate, Abdoulie Mbackeh, refused the application, hence he remanded them in custody, pending the completion of the investigations.