(Friday, 30 August 2013, Issue)
Four persons considered to be fake business investors were yesterday arraigned before senior Magistrate Lamin Mbye of the Banjul Magistrates’ Court.
The four are Gambians and Senegalese nationals namely,Ebrima Kebbeh, Cherno H.M. Savage, Abdoulie Jagne and Ebrima Gaye.
They were charged with six counts, which included conspiracy to commit a felony, making false declaration, making false documents, attempt to commit a felony and giving false information to a public officer.
They all denied the allegations, before being granted each a court bail to the tune of D5 million.
As part of the bail requirements, the men had also to produce sureties each who are Gambian nationals with a valid identification card.
The bail condition further stipulated that the accused persons should provide title deeds to property located anywhere in The Gambia, equal to the bail sum.
The case was then adjourned to 10 September 2013.
Ebrima Kebbeh, Cherno HM Savage, Abdoulie Jagne and Ebrima Gaye, are accused of conspiring to defraud the Government of the Gambia by giving false information to the Secretary General Office of the President, and thereby committed an offence.
In count two, the four accused persons were alleged to have, in the year 2013 in Banjul and diverse places, attempted to obtain money from the Government of the Gambia by making and uttering false business proposal to the Secretary General Office of the President, and thereby committed an offence.
The accused persons were also alleged in count three to have, in the year 2013 in Banjul and diverse places in the Gambia, given false information to the Secretary General Office of the President that they have a potential investor who was ready and willing to invest an amount of 12 billion US dollars in The Gambia, which information they knew was false, and thereby committed an offence.
In count four, Ebrima Kebbeh, Cherno Savage and Abdoulie Jagne, were accused that, in the year 2013 in Banjul and diverse places in the Gambia, they wrote a false business proposal letter to the Secretary General Office of the President that they have a potential investor who was ready and willing to invest an amount of US$12 billion in The Gambia, knowing or having the reason to believe the same to be false.
Ebrima Kebbeh, Cherno Savage and Abdoulie Jagne, were further accused in count five that, in the year 2013 in Banjul and diverse place in the Gambia, they knowingly and fraudulently uttered a document purported to be a business proposal letter to the Secretary General Office of the President, knowing or having the reason to believe the same to be false
Abdoulie Jagne was alone accused in count six that, in the year 2013 in Banjul and diverse places in the Gambia, for the purpose of securing an investment approval from the Government of the Gambia, he allegedly introduced himself to the Secretary General Office of the President as chairman of Elton Company of Dakar Senegal, which information was found to be false, and thereby committed an offense.
