By Rohey Jadama
Mr. Gabriel Mendy, the former Director of National Treasury, testified
as the first prosecution witness(PW1) in the trial of Mr. Ousman
Badjie, the erstwhile Minister of Works and Transport, before Justice
Abi at the High Court on 14th January 2015.Mr. Mendy introduced himself as a pensioner who was working at the
Directorate of National Treasury as the then Director. He told the
court that he lives in Knifing Estate and that he recognized the
accused person. He said he was responsible for the receipts of
government money and that as a directorate, they are responsible for
sending remittances and accounting of all those remittances as
well as showing by record how such remittances are spent.
PW1 told the court that he knows Faisal Bojang and that he is a staff
of the National Treasury. He said he was in Paris in order to witness
the taking over of Mr. Bojang as the Financial Attaché of the Gambian
Embassy in France. He adduced that the role of Financial Attachee was
to take care of the finances of the Embassy. He said he does not know
for how long Mr. Bojang has served the Embassy in Paris but that if
his memory can serve him well it was in October 2013.
He told the court that whilst he was in Paris, they went through the
books to establish the closing balance as that is from where the
Financial Attaché takes over and that after everything has been
established, the Financial Attaché then signed and that the accused
also took part in the handing over. He told the court that he was also
a Financial Attaché for 8 years.
Mr. Mendy said the Ambassador is the head of the mission and that all
the other members of staff are under him, including the Financial
Attaché.
PW1 told the court that Faisal Bojang took over in 2013 and that he
retired in January 2014 and that the first financial inspection he
undertook was in October 2013.
Mr. Mendy further told the court that he traveled to Paris with Faisal
Bojang and another staff.
He said he cannot remember for how long the accused had served in
Paris because the records are not with him.
At this stage, the case was adjourned to 20th January 2015 for
continuation of hearing.
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