#Headlines

GP trial: Oil trader threatened not to bring petroleum products after fuel shortage

Jun 1, 2022, 10:51 AM | Article By: Adama Tine

Abdoulie Tambedou, former board chairman of Gam-Petroleum has told the high court that following a fuel shortage that once hit the country, ADAX International Oil trader had threatened not to bring petroleum products into the country unless their balance was paid.

Mr. Tambedou was testifying in an eight-count charge of economic crime trial involving former general manager of Gam-Petroleum Company Saihou Drammeh and former Operations Manager Lamin Gassama respectively.

Testifying before Justice Haddy Rachel, Mr. Tambedou told the court that sometime in October 2021, Star Oil Company and other international traders raised some queries about their missing products at the depot.

He also said he received a letter from one Ibrahima Njie on behalf of the Star Oil Gambia, leading him to summon an extraordinary meeting in which PURA was invited to dig into the allegations raised by Star Oil Gambia.

Mr. Tambedou said in that board meeting, PURA explained the inspection report whilst Ibrahima Njie's letter was read out and one Abdourahaman Barrow, managing director of Star Oil Gambia explained the rationale of their letter.

He said Saihou Drammeh was asked to explain the status of stuff by both PURA and letter of Star Oil, noting that the first accused person denied that there was missing stuff at the depot, and explained that the reason for the fuel shortage was because there was always a practice to lending stock to oil marketing companies who have confirmed deliveries of petroleum products.

Mr. Tambedou said he underscored that there was complete halt for both petrol and diesel as both quantities were completely withdrawn and this came to his notice upon public outcry of petroleum products.

According to Mr. Tambedou, he received a phone call from Mr. Barrow of Star Oil informing him of the visit of the State Intelligence Services and after talking to him, he also called Saihou Drammeh but Mr. Drammeh still denied that there were no missing fuel products.

According to him, Mr. Drammeh told him that the reason for fuel shortage was because international traders refused to bring petroleum products as a result of the new pricing introduced by the government.

Tambedou told the court that at this point, he believed in what Mr. Drammeh told him on phone as there was a price structure changed by the government.

He further informed the court that after receiving a call from the director-general of PURA and Star Oil Gambia on the missing petroleum shortage, he summoned a meeting to hear from the former general manager of Gam-Petroleum Saihou Drammeh, who again denied the allegations and said the shortage was caused by lending balance.

Former chairman of the Gam-Petroleum board told the court that at a meeting between the former minister of trade, Seedy Keita and ADAX, the International trader disputed what Saihou Drammeh said as the reason for the fuel shortage and the negative balance and requested for the settlement of balance or stuff before bringing petroleum products into the country.

Mr. Tambedou said when the ADAX officer made that assertion, he was requested to formalise the claim to refer to how the difference in volume was arrived at and the price of these products.

He said at this point ADAX officer was also asked to provide the format of the bank guarantee that they required to bring petroleum products into the country and this was submitted to the Gam-Petroleum board.

He said the board at this point, invited both the former General Manager Saihou Drammeh and Operations Manager Lamin Gassama and their deputies to reconcile the petroleum products, but the reconciliation did not tally with the claim from the traders and both accused persons were not able to indicate the final figures of the traders and the oil marketing companies.

He said the above warranted the board to constitute a led reconciliation meeting with the former trade minister Seedy Keita, Saihou Drammeh and Lamin Gassama.

He said during the first meeting at PURA, Saihou Drammeh told them that he had stock figures in the depot and was allowed to go to the depot with the second accused person Lamin Gassama, security personnel and a PURA representative, but the reconciliation proved that there was no accurate record kept, and this warranted the task force by government to do the investigation and do the necessary actions.

Hearing continues tomorrow by 14:30