By Mamadou Dem
Amat Cham, the Finance Director of NAWEC, as well as the Managing Director of the Company, Baba Fatajo, yesterday Monday June 18th, reappeared before the ‘Janneh’ Commission to continue testimony in connection to NAWEC’s contracts.
Cham confirmed the sum of D25,468,354.40 which he said was a summary of payments NAWEC made on the discount cheques.
At this juncture, Commission Counsel Amie Bensouda, applied for the said summary to be included in exhibit SC92A. This was granted by the Commission Chairman, Sourahata Janneh.
On the capacity charge, Cham disclosed that the sum of $41,609,163.01, was the total payment made by NAWEC, in respect to the IPP.
Documents relating to the 3% capacity charge and supporting invoices, were also tendered and admitted as exhibits. Cham said EURO Financing Gambia Limited, is also owned by Muhammed Bazzi along with Global Trading Group and Global Electrical Group; that he could not remember whether there was a free storage of fuel and transportation between GTG and NAWEC.
Commission Chairman Sourahata Janneh at this juncture, said the investigators would find out more about Euro Financing Gambia Limited.
Cham was ordered to provide the Commission with all payments from NAWEC to GTG, including payments made on their behalf by other institutions like SSHFC, starting from 2000 to date.
Next to testify was the Managing Director of NAWEC Mr. Baba Fatajo. He was required to produce some documents relating to NAWEC’s contracts. However, he told the Commission that he could not find one of them.
Documents relating to NAWEC’s projects such as the Kotu Ring Water Supply, Gunjur Water Supply and Brikama Phase 2 projects, were tendered as exhibits.
According to Fatajo, if Brikama Phase 2 is completed, it would be commissioned in 2019 and would add 20 megawatt to the current volume of electricity. On the Memorandum of Understanding between NAWEC and the Ministry of Finance, Fatajo said the essence was to clean up the books of NAWEC; that most of the liabilities are in the form of investment loans.
He further stated that NAWEC could not fulfil the payment of loans and held discussion to see how Government would assist by taking 75% liability of the Company; that the total liability of NAWEC is D9, 335,425,000.
Fatajo testified that ITS came about in respect of payments made by GTG; that reconciliation by GTG and NAWEC was over $64,000,000; that ITS does not only affect NAWEC but other institutions as well.
At this juncture, Counsel Bensouda asked whether they owed the sum of $29,000,000 for supplies received from GTG. In response, Fatajo confirmed the said sum was owed by NAWEC. He was asked to produce documents showing the reconciliation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) before the Commission.
Commissioner Saine suggested for him to appear with his Finance Director to enable the commission know better, as to what actually transpired; that without this, it would be difficult to establish whether there were any outstanding sums owed to Euro Africa Group by NAWEC.
Fatajo responded that he is not ‘au fait’ with some of the things that happened at NAWEC and would therefore appear with his Finance Director, but would also need time to familiarize himself with some of the things that happened when he was not the MD.
Sitting continues today
