Renown businessman and head of Qgroup, Muhammed Jah, former trade minister and current finance minister, Seydou Keita, and former Finance Minister Mambury Njie have all been mentioned alongside others by Abubacarr Jawara, founder and CEO of Gach Global, in the landmark Gam-Petroleum trial.
The trial involves Gam-Petroleum's former General Manager Saikou Drammeh (1st accused) and Operations Manager Lamin Gassama (2nd accused), who face up to 8 charges including three economic crime charges.
Appearing before the High Court in Banjul on Wednesday to continue his testimony, Abubacarr Jawara testified that he had informed the 1st accused person, Saihou Drammeh that Gambia National Petroleum Company (GNPC) had contracted him to supply 1400 metric tons of AGO and 400 metric tons of PMS.
The witness told the court that this message was related to the 1st accused by his (the witness) agent, Kadijatou Kebbeh, through a letter.
His request was fulfilled, as the GNPC was supplied, according to the witness.
The said letter dated 5th September, 2021 was shown to the witness, who confirmed the document.
State Counsel Mballow's application to admit the document as evidence was granted by presiding Judge, Justice Haddy C. Roche.
The document was therefore admitted as exhibited P75.
The witness continued that he later travelled to Senegal, and whilst he was in Senegal, he received a call from his agent informing him that GNPC had transferred money to the account of Gach Global for payment of the 300 metric tons of PMS that they were supplied.
He elaborated that he asked his agent, Kadijatou Kebbeh, and his financial admin to make a bank transfer to pay the supply they were lent by the Senegalese through the 1st accused.
The two, he added, wanted to withdraw and pay the Senegalese in physical cash which he (Jawara) disagreed, saying that the 221, 000 dollars must be paid through a bank transfer.
At this juncture, he testified that he later received a phone call from the 1st accused person, who pleaded with him to pay the Senegalese in cash, because the Senegalese have no bank account.
The witness disclosed to the court that he later agreed to the request of 1st accused and therefore asked his agent to deliver the money to the 1st accused to hand it over to the Senegalese.
The witness posited that he told his agent to obtain a receipt of acknowledgement of the money by the 1st accused.
The receipt of acknowledgement was also admitted as evidence at this point.
The Gach boss further testified that he has the voice message he sent to his agent in connection with how to deliver the money.
Upon arrival back into the country, the witness furthered, he signed a tendered agreement with the GNPC deputy manager, Yero Jallow, adding that the agreement was photographed and sent to the 1st accused person.
He narrated that he then informed 1st accused that his product was coming into the country, and in response, the first accused person urged him to make sure that happens in the soonest possible time.
He told the court that he assured the 1st accused that he was doing everything possible to bring the product.
The witness adduced that he asked his agent to write to Gam-petroleum to inform them that he was to supply GNPC for the month of October, but Saihou Drammeh insisted that he (the witness) must settle the month of September first before he will be supplied by Gam-Petroleum for the month October.
He told the Court that Mr Drammeh (1st accused) later agreed to supply him product for the month of October, after he explained to him (1 accused) that his fuel was yet to arrive in the country.
According to the witness, no sooner had Mr Drammeh supplied him for the month of October, GNPC made payment for September, but the 1st accused asked him to hold on to the money and wait until the Senegalese suppliers ask for their money, adding that two days later, his agent informed him that the Senegalese supplier said they needed their money.
Further, the witness added that he later transferred the payment over D58 million to a Corringo Bank Account, after it was related to him by his agent that the first accused said that they should pay to that account.
However, the witness clarified that it was because he refused to pay physical cash to the Senegalese, on whose behalf the 1st accused was acting, 1st accused later gave him this account to make the payment.
At this juncture, the invoice of the said payment was tendered to the court by State Counsel Mballo, and admitted and marked as exhibit P78 (1), whilst the bank transfer receipt dated June 7, 2021 was tendered, admitted and marked as exhibit P78 (2).
The witness posited that the 1st accused person refused to effect any supply to him for the month of November and insisted that if he (the witness) couldn’t make efforts to bring his fuel into the country, he (1st accused) would not continue to supply him, adding that they made losses in the months of September and October.
At this juncture, Mr Jawara explained that when the fuel shortage hit the country, his name (Abubacarr Jawara) was all over the social media accusing him of taking all the fuel to Mali.
The witness told the court that he extended this message to the 1st accused, who told him not to worry himself because Saikou Omar Jigo, Mamburay Njie former minister of finance, Muhammed Jah of the Q Group, Edi Jobe of Atlas, and Seydou Keita, the current Finance minister were the ones fighting him (Saihou Drammeh).
In response to this accusation coming from the 1st accused person, the witness added, he assured the 1st accused that he was a good person that would always be helped by Allah.
As per the witness' testimony, he came to understand that intelligence agents had visited the depot, and that when he asked the 1st accused about this, 1st accused told him that it was Seydou Keita and Edi Jobe who sent the State Intelligence Service (SIS) to Gam-petroleum to investigate him.
According to the witness, he also called the director of SIS, Ousman Sowe, by phone to inquire about the purpose of their visit, but Director Sowe informed him that SIS realised that he (witness) and another company took fuel from the depot, which the witness denied.
Continuing his testimony, the witness posited that he later received a phone call from the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Trade, who asked him the amount of fuel he took from the depot, but little did he know that the PS was in a meeting with a panel of investigators including the 1st accused, adding that the phone was on loudspeaker.
Mr Jawara told the Court that he disclosed to the PS that he only took fuel from the depot in September and October, which amounted to 1400 AGO and 400 PMS, which were supplied to GNPC.
The witness' testimony continues.
