The Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Tourism and Culture recently testified before Principal Magistrate Emmanuel Nkea of Banjul Magistrates' Court as the prosecution's second witness in the ongoing trial of Mr. Alassan Jammeh, former Permanent Secretary at the Department of State for Religious Affairs.
In his testimony, Mr. Nuha Touray told the court that he could remember in 2008 when he was the Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Works.
According to him, in that capacity he represented the Permanent Secretary in the National Hajj Commission as an ex-officio.
He told the court that he sometime attends meetings on behalf of his Permanent Secretary or designates his subordinate, one Yankuba Jah.
Mr. Touray told the court that he could remember attending a meeting on 27thAugust 2008, during which Inter-continental Airlines was selected for the Hajj operation.
According to him, Inter-continental Airlines was selected on the basis of being the cheapest among the carriers identified on the assertion of Mr. Jammeh that he had received directives from the Office of the President, through a letter to select the carrier with the lowest bid. But he said he did not see the letter.
He asserted that his role at the Commission was to advise the Ministry responsible for religious affairs in matters relating to the Hajj.
