PS PMO testifies in Dr. Njogu Bah’s trial

The trial continued with the cross-examination of the permanent secretary at the Personnel Management Office, Dawda Fadera, by the defence counsel, LK Mboge.

Mr Fadera told the court that he could not remember who informed him about the posting of Ms Jainaba Jobarteh to the Gambia’s UN mission in New York.

He said the proposal of posting Ms Jobarteh was taken up with him by Yusupha Dibba, then permanent secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Asked whether it would be correct to say the posting of Ms Jobarteh emanated from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Fadera said the matter was brought to him by the then permanent secretary at Foreign Affairs.

Asked whether when the matter came to him, he endorsed it or recommended the proposal, the witness said as soon as they received the proposal, they formalized the request and forwarded it to the Office of the President.

Asked where Ms Jobarteh’s file was, Fadera said the PMO had the master file, including all civil servants’ files, but he could not remember whether the file was forwarded to the National Intelligence Agency, NIA.

He said it was correct that when they forwarded the file to the Office of the President, the proposal was endorsed by the then Secretary General, Dr. Njogu Bah.

Fadera said after the endorsement by the Secretary General, there was a letter of posting, adding that he was not aware of the circumstances leading to the posting of Ms Jobarteh to the country’s UN office.

Fadera also told the court: “I was informed by the then permanent secretary that there were some vacancies at the mission.”

He said he was aware that as head of the service, the secretary general has a stake in ensuring that there was reasonable capacity in the public service to ensure the delivery of services as required.

At that juncture, the matter was adjourned to 17 September 2014, for continuation of the hearing.