The
chairman of the Basse Area Council, Omar Sampoo Ceesay, yesterday testified in
the ongoing false information trial involving Mambanyick Njie, former permanent
secretary at the Ministry of Youths and Sport, at the Banjul Magistrates’ Court
before Principal Magistrate Halary Abeke.
Designated as the fifth prosecution witness (PW5), Mr Ceesay told the court that he resides in Basse in the Upper River Region, and that he is the current chairman of Basse Area Council.
He said in 2009, he was the first vice president of the Gambia Football Association (GFA), adding that he knew the accused person as the then permanent secretary at the Ministry of Youths and Sports.
Ceesay said the accused person was charged with giving false information, after he wrote to the Office of President,informing them that the then GFA administration were not doing right on the administration of GFA, and they weregiven imprests which they did not retire.
According to him, the accused indicated in the petition letter that when he was travelling to Portugal for The Gambia to play a friendly match against Guinea-Bassau, they were given an imprest, which was never true.
“We were only given allowances for four officials to attend the match, each 300 Euros which amounted to 1,200 Euros and allowances for 18 players. Each player was given 200 Euros which amounted to 3,600 Euros, and the total amount was 4,800 Euros equivalent to D192,480only,” Ceesay stated.
Ceesay further stated that he being the first vice president was the head of the delegation to Portugal, as well as the head of the administration team.
He added that he also headed the team which went for the technical meeting, noting that they also met Portuguese FA officials to facilitate playing grounds for the players in Portugal.
Asked by the prosecuting officer who received the money, Ceesay told the court that he received the money from Tombong Saidy, of The Gambia for Goal, from a prepared voucher which he signed as the receiver.
Asked again how he received the money, he said he received it through a GFA voucher and that he had given a photocopy to the police and kept the original.
At that juncture the prosecution applied for an adjournment, to enable them bring the original to the court at the next adjournment date.
The case was then adjourned to 18 November 2013, for hearing.
