Former Director of Treasury Testifies in Ousman Badjie’s Case

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By Rohey Jadama Mr. Gabriel Mendy, the former Director of National Treasury, testifiedOusman Badjie 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.  ]]>