(JollofNews) – Authorities in the Gambia have filed criminal charges again nine former senior government officials and a local businessman who were arrested some days ago as part of ongoing investigations into alleged corruption at the state-owned Gambia National Petroleum Company (GNPC).
Sira Wally Ndow Njie, who was the first minister of Petroleum and later appointed deputy minister of Tourism, Nuha Touray, secretary to the Cabinet, Momodou Badjie, managing director of Gambia National Petroleum Company, Fafa Sanyang, permanent secretary ministry of Petroleum, Seedy Kanyi, general, manager Gambia Transport Service Corporation, Muntaga Sallah, former permanent secretary ministry of Petroleum, Cherno Marenah, former Solicitor General, Momodou Taal, civil servant, Louis Moses Mendy, civil servant, and Idrissa Jobe, businessman were jointly charged with one count of economic crime.
They both pleaded not guilty at the Banjul Magistrates’ court and were remanded at Mile Two prisons while the case is being transferred to the high court.
Meanwhile Touray, Ndow, Badjie, Sanyang, Kanyi, Taal and Mendy have been sacked from their various position in government.
The Gambia National Petroleum Company represents the business arm of the Gambia Government within the downstream petroleum sector.
The firm began its retail and distribution activities in 2010 and sells petroleum products such as diesel, petrol and car oil at its stations in Banjul, Brikama Town, Bijilo, Farafenni, Basse and Soma.
