#Article (Archive)

Defence quizzes SSHFC boss in Sabally trial

May 15, 2015, 9:46 AM | Article By: Halimatou Ceesay

Senior Counsel AB Gaye in the economic crime case involving the former Secretary General and Minister for Presidential Affairs, Momodou Sabally, yesterday challenged the evidence-in-chief of Edward Graham, Managing Director of Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation (SSHFC) by way of cross-examination, before Justice Amadi of the Special Criminal Court in Banjul.

Under cross-examination, senior counsel Gaye said: “Subsequently, Mariama Sillah made a verbal update of the progress of the project.”

“Yes she did,” replied the witness.

“It is also correct that Mariama Sillah invited the corporation to witness some of the programmes of the project.”

“Yes she did,” said Mr Graham.

“The corporation of which you are the MD, you mentioned one key phrase ‘our corporate social investment policy’.”

“Yes I did.”

“I am correct to say that investing in education for the acquisition of required skills and knowledge remains key to your corporate social investment policy.”

“I will not say it is key, but it is one of our policies,” the witness responded.

“The assistance the corporation gave to Mariama Sillah was nothing out of the ordinary.”

“I cannot answer that because I do not know what is your definition of out of the ordinary.”

“What you did for Mariama Sillah is not unusual but normal.”

“In terms of investing in education, it is not an unusual investment,” said the witness.

“The type of assistance that the corporation gave to Mariama Sillah - did they make similar assistance to other government departments?”

“I am not in a position to answer that question,” said Mr Graham.

“When you said you are not in a position to answer that, what do you mean by that?”

“It is difficult to know whether the requests are exactly the same,” said the witness.

“Your corporation does give out assistance whether similar to Mariama Sillah or not?”

“I am not aware,” said the witness.

“Did your corporation give any computers to the Ministry of Justice?”

“I am not aware,” said the witness.

“I put it to you that your corporation gave out computers to the Ministry of Justice.”

“They may have but I cannot not remember,” said the witness.

The case continues on 18 May 2015.

Read Other Articles In Article (Archive)