The trial commenced yesterday of Dr. Gumbo Touray, Director of International Affairs at the University of The Gambia (UTG), before acting-Principal Magistrate Alagba of the Banjul Magistrates’ court.
Dr. Touray is on trial for allegedly giving false information to a public officer.
It was alleged that between March and April 2011 in Banjul, the accused Dr. Gumbo Touray wrote a petition to the Office of the President, stating that the Vice Chancellor of the University of The Gambia, Professor Kah, was bent on employing his relatives at the University, which information he knew was false, and thereby committed an offence.
Testifying as the first prosecution witness, one Hamat Bah told the court that he was the procurement officer between May 2010 and April 2011 at GPPA.
He said he was the assistant compliance officer and some of his responsibilities included analyzing of monthly reports and conducting annual procurement compliance reviews.
He said that he knew the accused person as a staff of the University of The Gambia.
"On 6 October 2010, myself and one Lamin K. Barrow, an assistant compliance officer were dispatched by the Managing Director of GPPA to go and conduct compliance review of the University of the Gambia," Mr Bah added.
He added that the review was centered on 12 variables that they used to measure the compliance level of procuring offices.
He said at the UTG, they met the procurement officer and his assistant, to whom they introduced themselves, and demanded the files.
"We were given the files and conducted a review as mandated. After the completion of the review, we sent our observations and recommendations to the University of The Gambia," Bah told the court.
The case was at that juncture adjourned to Friday 12 August 2011.
