Lawyer Request For Call Print Out Of PW3 In PIU Shooting

The trial of Ousainou Bojang and sister have proceeded at the High Court of The Gambia before Justice Ebrima Jaiteh for cross examination of the third prosecution witness Mama Jabbie. Appearing before the court for the defence was lawyer Lamin L J Darboe. Defence Lawyer L.J. Darboe applied for the court to issue an order for Africell and Qcell to produce call records of the third prosecuting witness. The defence lawyer L J Darboe appearing before Justice E. Jaiteh of the High Court filed a notice for the court to order to the two GSM operators to produce Mama Jabbie’s call records. The witness further testified that she had two telephones and one had Africell and the other Qcell, adding that she did not know the numbers off-head but she was able to recognise the numbers when defence lawyer LJ Darboe read them to her in court. She said she used to receive calls and get insulted. “That's why I removed my Qcell SIM card,” she said. She explained that after the Jululung officers took the accused away from her friend’s compound, subsequently, she called Musa Camara who was working at the Gambia Revenue Authority and informed him that “the killer” was there with her.

She said she met Musa Camara once when they were travelling together from Jululung to The Gambia, and also he was the one she knew at the police and had his number, adding that Musa Camara told her to wait while he called the Gambia Police. Subsequently, she said she received a call from Musa and was asked to meet him with the Gambia Police at Giboro. After the call, she narrated, she boarded a motorcycle to the said place and met with them and they moved to Jululung.

She concluded that Ousainou was handed over to the Gambia police by the Jululung officers at the Seleti border. However, she said she did not receive any payment to capture the accused, Ousainou Bojang, and was not aware of the Gambian president’s one million bounty for anyone who would capture the accused. She further revealed that when Ousainou arrived at her compound on Wednesday around 2 p.m., he was directed by the leader of Jululung garage, adding that Ousainou found her with a friend who was cooking while she was on the phone talking. The case was adjourned until 28 November 2023.

GAMTEL Suffers Fibre Cable Cuts Around Brufut

GAMTEL is still being affected by concurrent fibre cable cuts which courses serious interruptions of service delivery. This time around the fibre cable cuts happened back to back within weeks between the Gamtel Brufut junction going into Brufut Ghana town. A very disruptive and costly damage caused by a NAWEC water subcontractor call DOKU.

A n A - 2 x 48 core cable tubes that connects multitude of customers completelly was mutilated thereby rendered off service to many customers in an around the country. Seeing the cables, the pipes, and several pieces of materials damaged, and left abandoned by the NAWEC contracted workers was eye soaring.

Speaking to our reporter the managing director of GAMTEL Lamin A Tunkara said “ this had happened before and we restored, and we are reliving the same experiences again. The proof is in the optics. Our customers are seriously affected. More especially customers like our GSM operators, including Netpage, QCell, and their customers”

Managing director Tunkara continues “if you are guessing how deep the trenches are, or asking how do we protect these network cables, please take note of what we share here in the photos attached. At a minimum, we dig down to a meter. Cables are laid, backfilled, and at half way from the bottom of the pit, a very a very visible WARNING NET is placed on top and inscribed on it is the number 144 call for direction” “ No one would have said that that the trenches are not deep enough, or the cables not placed with protection. We did not only protect our cables but we put WARNING SIGNS ON THEM” Tunkara concluded. He call on the general public to report irregular activities and cable cuts as and when it happened.

Police PPTC Unit Inducts New Members

The Policy, Planning, and Training Coordination Unit of The Gambia Police Force marked a significant milestone on Tuesday, November 14, 2023, by conducting a comprehensive induction training session for four newly redeployed members at the GPF Conference Hall

In a warm address, the head of the Unit, Assistant Commissioner of Police Sambujang Fatty, extended a hearty welcome to the new staff, emphasizing the pivotal role of the Unit as the nerve center of the Gambia Police Force. He underscored the primary objective of the induction, stating, 'Our aim is to familiarize newly deployed officers with the crucial Policies and Procedures essential for effective planning within the Unit.

This induction provides a comprehensive overview of the intricate facets of planning.' ACP Fatty also emphasized the importance of maintaining exceptional teamwork and adherence to the unit's disciplined framework.

Distinguished senior members of the Unit, including Supt Ousman Colley, CIP Mariama Jallow-Gassama, Inspector Malang Keita, and Sainabou Tambedou, delivered insightful presentations covering the unit's mandates, core values, competencies expected from a planning officer, ethical standards, and the code of conduct.

Expressing gratitude and a shared commitment to the upcoming tasks, Superintendent Yaya Manjang, speaking on behalf of the new staff, conveyed sincere thanks for the warm reception and assured their dedication to the responsibilities ahead.

GAMTEL Brought In Cloud Data Center

The Gambia Telecommunication Company GAMTEL have brought in quality affordable and safer way of internet connection for its esteem customers. GAMTEL CLOUD DATA CENTRE is equipped with state-of-the-art security measures and disaster recovery capabilities. This provides a high level of protection that is essential for businesses to flourish and maintain a competitive edge with elevated data security, remote data access, and cost savings. Gamtel Cloud Data Centre also provides services such as DATA STORAGE, MANAGEMENT, BACKUP, RECOVERY ETC.

The management of GAMTEL is calling on its customer to to rush now and subscribe with Gamtel for efficient, and reliable data storage security. For more information contact Gamtel Customer Care Services at 1311, 9967912

Migrants Smugglers Could Face Murder Charges In Court

The Gambia Immigrations Department and its partner sister forces are ready to take on those engaging in trafficking young people in what is known as back way to Euroupe. It would be recalled that recently over 20 young Gambians are said to have lost their lives in their attempt to sail to the to Spain and several other boats carrying Gambian migrants are still missing in the waters. Many villages and towns are mourning their sons and daughtrs who took to the back way Europe through boats loaded in Kartong, Gunjur, Sanyang, Bakau and parts of the Fonis. These youths are traffick by people who are referred to as agents. Many familes paid nearly hundred thousand dalasis to these agents for sons and daughters to travel to Europe by boat. The commissioner of Irregular Migration Management Unit of The Gambia Immigration Department (GID) Foday Gassama said “the GID will be left with no option than to charge migrant smugglers with murder”. Gassama was speaking at the coastal village of Tanjeh, said: “GID will be left with no option than to charge migrant smugglers with murder if any boat should capsize at sea, or attempted murder if the boat hasn’t departed yet.”

“We are now doing everything possible in ensuring that we stop them from embarking on this perilous journey especially in controlling the area where they normally depart,” Gassama said. “But in most of the cases, when we control this area, the smugglers will then divert their operation to other areas. However, the good thing is that we have now detected all those places.” The smugglers, he went on, are the ones benefiting financially and causing the loss of lives to so many young Gambians. Babucarr Janneh, the Commissioner of Operation of the GID, calls on Gambians and non-Gambian to work closely with the GID in stamping out the menace of the back-way journey via the sea.

“Of recent, we were even informed about a possible departure of a migrant boat by a non-Gambian, which led to its interception. We are urging the public to help us with information anytime they suspect a particular movement. This will go a long way in saving lives and property,” he posited. On the interception of boats which happened at the coastal towns, GID deputy PRO Inspector Muhammad Bah said: “The interception took place in Gunjur at around 1 a.m. where 25 intended migrants who were to sail to Canary Islands were intercepted.” Preliminary investigation into the matter, Bah added, revealed that each of the intended migrants paid an amount of Twenty-five thousands dalasis (D25,000). “Among the 25 intended migrants, two of them were non-Gambians - one Ivorian national and one Sierra Leonean national, with three females as part of the 25 intended migrants,” the PRO said. The GID Operation Zero Departure which was launched recently, he added, will be patrolling the coastal areas with the objective of detecting any possible movement of migrants.

National Assembly FPAC Asked IGP To Investigate Some Institutions

The Finance and Public Accounts Committee (FPAC) has officially tasked the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to launch an investigation into some key government institutions in the country over mismanagement of Covid-19 funds and other offences. The institutions to be investigated include the Ministry of Health (MoH), the Grant Management Committee (GMC), the Gambia Tourism Board, the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA), the Kuntaur Area Council, and the Statistical General. It would be recalled that the National Assembly resolved and made recommendations to various governmental institutions on FPAC’s report on the 2019 audited accounts of government, the Auditor General’s report on Covid-19 response, and audited financial statements of public agencies and institutions, cities, municipality and area councils from June 2022 to July 2023. Yesterday, FPAC met with the National Audit Office and the Accountant Generals Office to review response of various institutions to the lawmakers.

The Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Health was tasked to provide missing vouchers of one million six hundred and fifty thousand dalasis to Brikama national audit and FPAC. Mr Serign Mass Jallow, of the National Audit Office, disclosed that the payment vouchers provided were photocopied and the attachment list of the relevant beneficiaries was not attached to the payment vouchers. “In addition, the payment review was raised by the AG department in respect of the transfer of funds to Brikama sub-treasury. However, the issue raised by the Brikama sub-treasury and supporting document of the onward payment of the allowances to relevant beneficiaries were not presented,” he said. The chairperson of FPAC committee, Hon Alagie S. Darboe, said the MoH had “failed to provide” the said missing vouchers, hence it should be forwarded to the IGP for investigation. The GMC was tasked to provide evidence of disbursement of three hundred and eighty-five thousand one hundred and fifty-nine dalasis to media houses. Mr Jallow revealed that they reviewed the evidences and noted five hundred and eighty-five thousand one hundred and fifty-nine dalasis was disbursed by the Gambia Press Union (GPU) to media houses. However, he added that the audit team could not confirm whether the funds were utilised by media houses as prescribed in the agreement. “There was no evidence to suggest that funds were accounted for and bank statement were not presented by beneficiary media houses; only DHK has provided its bank statement, as a result the issue remains unresolved.” The committee referred it to the IGP. Mr Mass Jallow further noted the evidence presented by NDMA “varies” between the amounts that were recorded in the cover letter. Due to this issue; “we were unable to rely on it. No evidence in relation to this difference was included in the evidence provide,” he stated. “The Payment Voucher PLP 180885, dated 29th October 2020, amounting to three million five hundred thousand dalasis relating to disaster victims was presented for their review but does not relate to Covid-19 response Shortage of delivery oil by the international commodity insurance: “In our review on the evidence presented by NDMA through the National Assembly, we noted that it was the same information that was provided to us during the audit,” he said. On evidence of delivery, he stated, the balance of fifty-three thousand seven hundred and ninety-one drums of ten-liter oil worth thirty-seven million six hundred and fifty-three thousand seven hundred dalasis was not presented. The only delivery note included in the submission was for the sixteen thousand two hundred and nine drums of ten-liter oil, he added. On the certificate of confiscation, he said the confiscation certificate was presented during the audit, thus the disposal report or certificate was not provided. Based on the evidence provided for review they noted the following issue: “The LRR confiscated report for 28 bags of rice was reproduced, not all confiscated food items were supported with a destruction certificate. Based on the issues noted, we can’t rely on the destruction report presented after the audit.” The rest of the institutions also failed to provide information they were tasked to provide thus, the FPAC decided to refer them to the IGP for investigation. Source Thepoint.gm