Some disgruntled Gam-coy21 soldiers have dismissed the rejoinder that was issued by the Gambia Armed Forces Command, describing it as utter rubbish and totally unfounded, Freedom Newspaper can report. This followed, the Command’s rejoinder, in which the force’s leadership had disputed the veracity of the former Gambian UN Peacekeepers corruption complaint against the command, then headed by Masanneh Kinteh. The soldiers said the GAF rejoinder was a mere coverup, aimed at misleading and deceiving Gambians on the twenty two million dalasis (D22 million) that was deducted from their United Nations Peacekeeping mission pay. The soldiers say they stood by their claims that they were each deducted D300,000 dalasis from their pay after the UN had downsized their operations in Darfur, Sudan. Seventy-six soldiers were asked to return home after their nine months mission in Darfur. One of the soldiers Lance Corporal Bakary Danso died. Danso used to work at the home of the former CDS Masanneh Kinteh as a utility soldier, the soldiers said.
The Gambian army command on Monday disputed the soldiers claims saying that it wasn’t true. The command had scribbled a lengthy rejoinder to back up their claims.
Reacting to the command’s rejoinder, the soldiers said, the command’s rejoinder was not only deceptive, but misleading. The soldiers had doubled down on their corruption allegations against the former CDS Kinteh and the GAF Finance Department.
“We were each deducted D300,000 from our pay. There was no justification for the deduction. The 10 percent deduction that they talked about is not something new. In short, we were underpaid. Twenty-two million dalasis (D22 million dalasis) was taken from our pay. The GAF rejoinder is the joke of the century. It is a clear case of coverup,” the said the soldiers.
The soldiers added that following their return from Darfur, a parade was held at the Yundum barracks, where the former Deputy Chief of Defense Staff Yankuba Drammeh had addressed the men.
“The meeting was held not far from the Volleyball lawn; not far from the new mosque being built. After addressing us, Drammeh asked us if we have any questions or problems to raise with him. One of our colleagues Lance Corporal Colley Faye, launched a plea on behalf of the men: He begged Drammeh to spare our pay from further deductions. Drammeh was furious; he responded by branding Colley Faye, as a greedy and ungrateful soldier. He also branded Colley Faye, as a hypocrite. The meeting later ended. Despite Colley Faye’s plea, that never stopped the command from deducting us each D300,000 dalasis from our pay,” said the soldiers.
“To add insult to injury, we were also told that the D15,000 dalasis that was given to us before our trip to Darfur, was to be repaid as a loan. In the past, such funds were given to the soldiers for free. We are the first contingent to be asked to refund the D15,000 dalasis. We are victims of exploitation. We are calling on President Adama Barrow to please intervene. The GAF command is not telling the truth,” said the soldiers.
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