BANJUL, THE GAMBIA—Gambian Immigration officers implicated in a theft case at the Gambia Port Authority, have been summoned for questioning by the police command in Banjul, the Freedom Newspaper can authoritatively report. This followed, the extortion of visa fees collected from a visiting Dutch cruise ship tourists by the accused Immigration officers. Over two million dalasis of visa fees were collected from the visiting tourists. The accused officers allegedly stolen over D1.4 million dalasis and shared it among themselves.
As we file this report, the following officers are currently being interviewed at the police headquarters conference room by officers led by CMC Demba Sowe:
Sulayman Colley, Chief Superintendent
Modou Jammeh, Assistant Superintendent
Fatou Cham, Chief Inspector, also the wife of Immigration Deputy DG Seedy Touray
Metta Kujabi, Chief Inspector
Ramatoulie Gaye, Inspector
Omar Ceesay, Immigration cashier
The next person to be called for questioning is one Mr. Gaye. Mr. Gaye’s company handles the operations of the cruise ship in the Gambia. He too is under the radar of the police.
According to sources, Interior Minister Ebrima Mballow referred the Immigration case to the police for investigations. But a law enforcement source said without the intervention of the State Intelligence Services he is not convinced that justice will be done in the port theft case.
“ My only worry is that most of the police officers investigating the these Immigration officers are part of the mafia group. I can assure you that nothing will come out it because the police officers will not avail justice to the accused Immigration officers. A panel should be constituted to look into the matter. The SIS must be part of that panel if there should be any element of justice dispensed,” the law enforcement source said.
The story goes like this: It was on March 23rd 2018, when a cruise ship from the Netherlands anchored at the Port of Banjul. There were 724 passengers on board the ship; with different nationalities. Each passenger was required to pay a visa fee of three thousand dalasis (D3,000) upon arrival in Banjul. In total, over two million and one hundred and seventy two thousand dalasis ( D2,172,000) visa fees was collected from the visiting Dutch tourists. Out of that figure, one million and four hundred and seventy two thousand dalasis ( D1,472,000) was not accounted for, according to Immigration insiders familiar with the story. The stolen money was shared among GID officers at the sea port and headquarters, the insiders added.
“Thanks to one of our Immigration Intelligence officers at the sea port, who was privy to the deal, he decided to blow the whistle on them. That’s when Seedy Touray, the GID Deputy Director became panic. He tried to pull head and threw them under the bus by reporting that he has discovered a big scam at the sea port to DG Zil Sagnia. He was instructed by DG Zil to set up a panel headed by the Immigration Department Intelligence officers to investigate the matter as soon as possible. Instead of executing Zil’s orders, Seedy decided to write to the Ministry of Interior because he was not comfortable with what the Immigration Intelligence unit was going to discover,” said the insiders.
“So, when the letter got to the Ministry, they copied DG Zil Sagnia; that was the time that he DG knew what was going on. The DG decided to set up a panel headed by Mr. Ebou Correa, Chief Intelligence Officer at the Gambia Immigration Department. Nderry, in the first phase of the investigations, they discovered that the D700,0000 was paid to Seedy Touray and not the Finance Department headed by Daddy Lowe or the Central cashiers. Nderry, the interesting thing is; when the money was paid to Seedy Touray, he decided to keep the money in his office for few days without telling anyone from the Immigration senior management at the headquarters or the cashiers; so that the right thing can be done; that’s to for the Finance Department to pay the money at the Central Bank,” the insiders added.
STORY BACKGROUND
A major corruption racketeering has been uncovered at the Gambia Immigration Department, the Freedom Newspaper can authoritatively report. Corrupt Immigration officers at the Banjul Sea Port, acting in concert with their superiors at the GID Headquarters in Banjul, have allegedly defrauded the Gambian state over one million dalasis in respect of visa fees collected from visiting Dutch tourists. The stolen money was shared among the officers, this medium has been reliably informed.
The story goes like this: It was on March 23rd 2018, when a cruise ship from the Netherlands anchored at the Port of Banjul. There were 724 passengers on board the ship; with different nationalities. Each passenger was required to pay a visa fee of three thousand dalasis (D3,000) upon arrival in Banjul. In total, over two million and one hundred and seventy two thousand dalasis ( D2,172,000) visa fees was collected from the visiting Dutch tourists. Out of that figure, one million and four hundred and seventy two thousand dalasis ( D1,472,000) was not accounted for, according to Immigration insiders familiar with the story. The stolen money was shared among GID officers at the sea port and headquarters, the insiders added.
“Thanks to one of our Immigration Intelligence officers at the sea port, who was privy to the deal, he decided to blow the whistle on them. That’s when Seedy Touray, the GID Deputy Director became panic. He tried to pull head and threw them under the bus by reporting that he has discovered a big scam at the sea port to DG Zil Sagnia. He was instructed by DG Zil to set up a panel headed by the Immigration Department Intelligence officers to investigate the matter as soon as possible. Instead of executing Zil’s orders, Seedy decided to write to the Ministry of Interior because he was not comfortable with what the Immigration Intelligence unit was going to discover,” said the insiders.
“So, when the letter got to the Ministry, they copied DG Zil Sagnia; that was the time that he DG knew what was going on. The DG decided to set up a panel headed by Mr. Ebou Correa, Chief Intelligence Officer at the Gambia Immigration Department. Nderry, in the first phase of the investigations, they discovered that the D700,0000 was paid to Seedy Touray and not the Finance Department headed by Daddy Lowe or the Central cashiers. Nderry, the interesting thing is; when the money was paid to Seedy Touray, he decided to keep the money in his office for few days without telling anyone from the Immigration senior management at the headquarters or the cashiers; so that the right thing can be done; that’s to for the Finance Department to pay the money at the Central Bank,” the insiders added.
The Immigration insiders couldn’t understand why Deputy DG Seedy Touray should receive the visa fee money and kept it in his office in the first place. They said Seedy’s conduct is in total contravention to the Financial Act.
“Had been that the Intelligence officer at the sea port didn’t blow the whistle, what was Seedy planning to do with the money? Something else came up with the few officers questioned by the investigation unit; they are saying that Seedy Touray is part of them, and he is aware of everything that happened on the day in question. Do you know that Seedy’s wife is part of the senior Immigration management team at the sea port? Nderry, you kept saying time and time that president Barrow needs to do something about families working at the same area or department at the Immigration; they will always work against the interest of the Gambia and her people. And, President Barrow needs to set up an anticorruption unit ASAP,” the insiders lamented.
In a letter addressed to the Interior Ministry Permanent Secretary, Seedy Touray said he deemed it imperative to expose the theft at the Immigration Department. Mr. Touray in turn accused his fellow officers complicit in the alleged theft of denying government the much-needed funds to develop the nation.
“On 23rd March 2018, with Netherlands flag anchored at the Banjul Port, with passengers from different countries. However, the manifest indicates that 724 out of the total were legible to pay Gambian visa at a cost of D3,000 per person. This amounts to D217,2000 of which only D700,0000 was paid to government coffers, leaving a discrepancy of D147,2000. This colossal figure was shared between seniors at GID at HQS thus depriving the Central government of the much-needed revenue to facilitate development projects envisaged by the new dispensation. This is in contravention of the financial instruction Act and equally directly affects the fiduciary management of GID,” Deputy DG Touray writes.
“Considering the foregoing as well as the seriousness of the act, I deemed it prudent to officially notify your good office and further crave your indulgence to probe into the issue with the view to punishing the perpetrators and their cohorts so as to serve as a deterrent to other potential offenders,” he added.
In a letter dated April 19th, 2018, Immigration Director General Buba Sagnia, instructed his Intelligence Director Ebou Correa to commence an investigation on the matter referenced: REPORT ON THE MASSIVE FRAUD AT GID SEA PORT OFFICE.”
“You are hereby advised to institute a team, which should include one officer from West Coast, and Kanifing Intelligence Unit,” DG Sagnia wrote.
The Freedom Newspaper is also in possession of the Dutch ship arrival manifest. Below is the manifest, which was forwarded to us by our sources.
The concerned insiders alleged that corruption is becoming endemic at the Immigration Department; Customs and other sister services. The insiders warned that unless President Barrow demonstrates honest leadership, and take on the perpetrators, the country will continue to be denied the needed revenue to combat poverty.
“The same scam was taking place at the airport within the Immigration; officers taking money from people for visas at the entry point without issuing them receipts; that’s how the two killers of former president Yahya Jammeh got into the country, without been noticed. The officers were busy collecting visa fees from foreigners and people with European passports. DG Zil is really trying his very best but he is not getting the necessary support from the Interior Ministry to fight corruption. They are turning the Immigration Department into a family business. Just look at the case of ASP Abdul Cham. How can the Minister Ebrima Mballow of all people; putting big pressure on Zil Sanyang to select ASP Abdul Cham by force to go represent the Gambia Immigration Department in Europe; knowing very well that ASP Abdul Cham is a bad cow. He cannot even write his name properly. His only qualification is; he is a friend of Minister Ebrima Mballow. He gives cattle and other things to the top command,” the insiders alleged.
The insiders said some of their colleagues owned five-bedroom storey buildings and fancy cars. They said the source of the officers wealth is questionable by all standards; hence they called for the probing of the Immigration Department.
The Immigration spokesman could not be reached for comment during the weekend.
Written By Pa Nderry M’Bai
Email: panderrymbai@gmail.com
Tel: 919-749-6319
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