Lamin
A.M.S. Jobarteh, former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, yesterday
appeared before Justice E.O.Dada at the High Court in Banjul.
Lamin
Jobarteh is standing trial on three counts of economic crime and giving false
information to a public servant.
The
particulars of offence on count one disclosed that the accused, sometime
between the month of July 2012 and May 2013 in Banjul, whilst he was the
Attorney General and Minister of Justice, willfully and/or recklessly caused
monetary loss to The Gambia Revenue Authority, a public body, by constituting a
Task Force which reassessed and reviewed downwards the tax liabilities of
several tax defaulters as found by the Tax Commission.
The
particulars of offence on count two stated that the accused sometimes between
the months of February and April 2013 in Banjul, whilst he was the Attorney
General and Minister of Justice, informed the Office of the President that over
D200 million had been recovered from tax defaulters and deposited in the GRA
recovery account with the GTBank, knowing such information to be false.
The
particulars of offence on count three also disclosed that the accused,
sometimes between the months of July 2012 and May 2013 in Banjul, whilst he was
the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, informed the Commissioner
General, Gambia Revenue Authority, that there was cabinet approval to establish
a Task Force to re-assess the tax liabilities of defaulters as shown in the Tax
Commission report, knowing such information to be false.
In
his testimony before the court yesterday, police officer Jawo Keita informed
the court that the amount involved was D2,525, 056,591.57 (two billion, five
hundred and twenty-five million, fifty-six thousand, five hundred and
ninety-one dalasis fifty-seven butus).
The
witness said he was called by the C.M.C and briefed about tax defaulters,
adding that he was given a document dated 6 June 2012 (recommendation of the
Tax Commission) minuted by the Inspector General of Police to the C.M.C.
Jawo
Keita said he did not recover the said amount, but recovered some amount of
money.
He
said when it was announced over the air that the tax defaulters started paying
their liabilities, he later asked the defaulters to be paying their liabilities
into the GTBank.
The
witness told the court that they were issued with receipts upon payment of
their liabilities.
The
said document (the Tax commission report) and a square book and receipts of
payments by individuals and institutions were tendered by the DPP S.H. Barkum
and admitted in evidence and marked as exhibits.
Hearing
continues on 19 December 2016.
