By Mariama Marong
On Monday, 25th August 2025, the prosecution’s chief witness, Oumie Sanyang, began giving her testimony in a trial involving a staff of the Gambia National Petroleum Company (GNPC) accused of stealing more than one million dalasis.
The prosecuting officer, Inspector O. Jaiteh, appeared for the Inspector General of Police. On a previous adjourned date, the accused person, Ousman Jammeh, denied the charge and applied for bail. Magistrate Isatou Jallow granted bail in the sum of two million dalasis or two Gambian sureties together with one title deed of equal or higher value.
Testifying in court, Madam Sanyang said she and the accused are both employees of GNPC, where she serves as shift head. She recalled that on a particular day in 2020, when Jammeh was on a night shift, money went missing. Together with other pump attendants, she conducted the necessary checks and balances on the petrol and gas sales.
She added that Jammeh later told her he had scanned a coupon in the name of Sainabou, another pump attendant. According to her, arrangements were made to regularize the balance sheet and a coupon worth D1,000 was registered back into Jammeh’s name.
The witness explained that, as shift head, she had a key to the safe locker while her boss kept another. On one occasion, her boss left his key with Fatoumatta, another worker, who later returned it. She said she placed both keys in her bag and proceeded to the toilet to wash her hands.
Sanyang further testified that on 19th December 2020, she tried calling both Jammeh and Sainabou, but none of them answered. She then called Fatoumatta Keita, who picked up and informed her that she had just spoken to Jammeh and he was on his way.
The matter has been adjourned to 3rd September 2025 at 10 a.m. for continuation of her testimony.
