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Ex-GRA boss, others granted bail

Jun 28, 2012, 1:20 PM | Article By: Malamin L.M Conteh

Justice Emmanuel Nkea of the Special Criminal Court yesterday granted bail to Bakary Sanyang, former commissioner general of the Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA), and a former senior official of the GRA, Louis Gillen.

The bail bond is for D20, 000,000 each with five sureties with landed property within the Greater Banjul Area.

The accused persons must also surrender all their travel documents to the registrar of the court, and Bakary Sanyang should be reporting to the Brikama Police Station every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Louis Gillen should be reporting to Brusubi Police Station every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

At the time of delivering the ruling Louis Gillen was not in court.

The ex-GRA Commissioner General and 13 others were charged with 14 counts of neglect of official duty, perjury, making false and misleading statement, defraud of the government tax revenue, economic crimes and uttering false documents, before the Banjul Magistrates’ Court.

The other accused persons are Musukebba Corr, former Commissioner of domestic at tax GRA, Louie Gillen, senior officer at GRA, Mamour Joof of GRA, Muhammed Krubally, Serign Bamba Saho, Selia Cole, Neneh Jallow, Remeh Jagane, Emmanuel Chime, Rene Renner, Ebrima Kebbeh, Momodu Sanneh, and Fatou Sonko.

It would be noted that Serign Bamba Saho, Emmanuel E. Chime, Ebrima Kebbeh, Momodou Sanneh and Fatou Sanko were earlier granted bail of D300, 000 each with two Gambian sureties who must swear to an affidavit of means, by the Banjul Magistrates’ Court.

The bail conditions further stipulated that the accused persons should surrender their travel documents to the registrar of the court. 

The particulars of offence on count one stated that Bakary Sanyang, Musukebba Corr, Louie Gillen and Mamour Joof, between 1999 and 2011, at the Gambia Revenue Authority, by virtue of their employment as senior staff of the GRA, they neglected their official duties causing economic loss to the tune of D2, 528,894, 688.37 to the Government of The Gambia, thereby committed an offence.

Count two stated that Louie Gillen between 1999 and 2011, at the GRA in Banjul, lied to the tax evasion commission, thereby committed an offence.

Count three stated that Louie Gillen, Serign Saho, Selia Cole and Muhammed K. Krubally between 1999 and 2011, in Banjul and diverse places in Gambia, whilst on oath they lied to the tax evasion commission, thereby committed an offence.

Count four sTated that Louie Gillen, Serign Bamba Saho, Selia Cole and Muhammmed K. Krubally, between 1990 and 2011, in Banjul and diverse places in The Gambia, falsely uttered a document exhibited in the tax evasion commission as exhibit LG1 with intent to defraud, thereby committed an offence.

Count five stated that Neneh Jallow, Remeh Jagne and Emmanuel Chime, in 2010, in Banjul and diverse places in The Gambia, they falsely uttered a document being a deed of assignment with serial registration number 469/ 2010 vol 73 KD to the tax evasion commission with intent to defraud, thereby committed an offence.

Count six read that Louie Gillen, between 1990 and 2011, in Banjul and diverse places in The Gambia, being a revenue officer under GRA entered into an agreement with Serign Bamba Saho to defraud the Gambia government of tax revenue, thereby committed an offence.

Count seven indicated that Bakary Sanyang, between 1990 and 2012, in Banjul and diverse places in The Gambia, being a revenue officer under GRA entered agreement with Ebrima Kebbeh to defraud the Gambia government of tax revenue, thereby committed an offence.

Count eight also indicated that Bakary Sanyang, between 1990 and 2011, in Banjul and diverse places in the Gambia, being a revenue officer under GRA entered into an agreement with Ebrima Kebbeh to defraud The Gambia government of tax revenue thereby committed an offence.

Count nine revealed that Mamour Joof, between 1990 and 2011, in Banjul and diverse places in The Gambia, entered into an agreement with Kombo Poultry Farm, to defraud the Gambia government of tax revenue, thereby committed an offence.

Count ten further revealed that Louie Gillen some time in 1990 and 2011, in Banjul and diverse places in the Gambia, he intentionally and unlawfully caused economic losses to the government of the Gambia, thereby committed an offence.

Count eleven read that Bakary Sanyang, Musukebba Corr, Louie Gillen and Mamour Joof, some time in 1990 and 2011, in Banjul and diverse places in the Gambia, they intentionally and unlawfully caused the state to lose revenue amounting to D2, 528,894,698.37, being total outstanding liabilities owed after the reassessment of selected income, sales payer and capital gain tax payers, thereby committed an offence.

Count twelve indicated that Reneh Remer, between 1990 and 2011, in Banjul and diverse places in the Gambia, made false and misleading statements in the declaration of their income on capital gain tax, thereby committed an offence.

Furthermore, count thirteen indicates that Ebrima Kebbeh, between 1990 and 2011, in Banjul and divers places in the Gambia, made false and misleading statements in the declaration of their income on capital gain tax, thereby committed an offence.

And count fourteen stated that Momodu Sanneh and Fatou Sonko, between 1990 and 2011, in Banjul and divers places in the Gambia, they made false and misleading statements in the declaration of their income on capital gain tax in Babuccar Sey and Alex Tabbal sales property transaction, thereby committed an offence.