Babucarr
Janneh, the vice chairman of the Timber Association, who was assisting the
chairman of the said association, yesterday told the Janneh Commission that
they were threatened to be sent to Mile Two Prison if their members were found
exporting timber.
Lamin
Barrow, the chairman of the association, was summoned in connection to Westwood
Gambia Ltd.
In
his testimony, he told the commission that he knows Westwood company and that
his association was formed in 2010, noting that they have a ten-man committee.
At
this juncture, statements by the members of the committee were submitted to the
commission which were tendered and admitted as exhibits.
According
to him, they were informed that Westwood was taking over the importation of
timbers, noting that he did not know who was behind this because he was out of
the country.
He
further testified that they were told that anyone who wanted to export timber
should inform the said company, and that this was communicated to his vice
chairman, Babucarr Janneh.
Assisting
the chairman, Baboucarr Janneh told the commission that in 2014, he was
approached by some people including the managing director at Ocean Bay Hotel in
a meeting where he was told that they wanted to see those dealing in timber
business.
He
added that one of the exporters told him that Westwood took over the
exportation of timbers and they were charged $ 4,000 and subsequently reduced
it to $3, 000.
Mr.
Janneh further acknowledged that there was a letter from the Forestry
Department which was shown to him, noting that there treasurer had a phone call
from General Saul Badjie that if they did not comply they would send some
soldiers to arrest them. He disclosed that some Chinese businessmen paid $3,000
to Westwood for exportation of timbers.
At
this point, Mr. Barrow came in and told the commission that they sold the
timbers to Chinese businessmen who would export them, noting that they paid
clearance fees of D9000 in 2010, then D1000 to custom, D2500 to Gambia Chambers
of Commerce as members of the chamber and D2500 for bill of laden.
He
also said the total payment for the whole transaction was about D12, 000,
adding that they would write to the former president to resume operation which
was going on-and-off and finally the business closed.
When
put to him that the Department of Forestry did not have the authority to lift
the ban without the consent of the former president, he responded in the
positive.
Next
to give evidence was the assistant director of Forestry, Malang Jassey, who was
also summoned with regard to Westwood Company.
According
to him, he held the position since November 2014 and Muhammad Jaiteh is the
director who is currently out of the jurisdiction.
Commission’s
counsel, Amie Bensouda, told him that his director was summoned in relation to
the said company. He said he knew the name of the company through their file,
stating that the company was authorised by the former president to export
timbers.
At
this juncture, documents provided by the Department of Forestry were tendered
and admitted in evidence.
Mr.
Jassey further told the commission that the company owed the Department of
Forestry the sum of D2, 580,000 from the years 2014 to 2016 and they exported
over eleven thousand of containers.
He
stated that he did not see any file indicating that the company was registered.
However,
he was told by Counsel Bensouda that the director of Forestry was expected to
appear before the commission.
Earlier,
the chief finance director of Gamtel, Banding Sillah, also gave evidence in
connection to Gamtel gateway contract.
He
told the inquiry that he came with two reports, one for 2015 and that of 2016
review relating to the international gateway.
He
said MGI-Swiss paid Gamtel $500,000 and the outstanding balance was $1,000,000
from 2015 to 2016.
At
this juncture, compliance audit report, statement of accounts were tendered and
admitted as exhibits.