A fine of D500,000 and a jail term of five years awaits anybody who
leaves The Gambia under government-sponsored programme or mission and refuses
to return home upon completion.
In addition to the fine and jail term, such person will refund the money spent by the government (if any) on his or her behalf and, in default, to face imprisonment for additional four years with hard labour.
These punishments were codified into law on 9 October 2014 when President Jammeh approved, by signing, the Criminal Code Amendment Bill 2014, which stipulates such punishment.
Jammeh’s signing of this bill was announced in the latest edition of the Gazette, an official periodic publication of the government.
The bill was passed by the National Assembly in August, this year.It was tabled by the former Justice Minister, Mama Fatima Singhateh.
She told the parliamentarians that such legislation was necessitated by the increasing trend of public officers absconding after they have been away on government sanctioned missions.