(JollofNews) – Business tycoon Mohammed Bazzi’s latest attempt to disrespect Commissioner Bai Mass Saine and counsel Amie Bensouda has been met Wednesday with strong reaction. Lawyer Surahata Janneh, Chairman of the Commission of Inquiry went ballistic on Bazzi, tearing him into
pieces.
“I am not going to entertain any ping ping game,” Commissioner Janneh tells Bazzi in what many observers have described as the right move to remind the businessman that he is no more in Yahya Jammeh’s banana
republic.
The Commission of Inquiry probing allegations of corruption against ex-dictator Jammeh and his close associates continue to hear testimonies from individuals including Muhammed Bazzi whose dealings
with former longtime ruler have ’emptied’ state coffers.
While he was cornered by counsel Bensouda with a series of questions regarding lands he acquired at the Ports, Bazzi resorted to subterfuge to gain the upper hand in casting doubt on the credibility of Commissioner Saine and veteran lawyer Bensouda.
The businessman surprised the entire audience when he brought up the issue of an initiave taken by EAG to bail out ‘struggling’ Gambia government with the importation of rice. He claimed that his company spent $8 million to rescue the country.
Bazzi went further to insinuate that Saine and Bensouda have knowledge of the matter. This prompted the duo to give a categorical denial leaving him with no valid argument to substantiate his allegation. When the transaction was taking place, counsel Amie Bensouda was no longer tied to the bank and Commissioner Bai Mass Saine was on assignment in Cameroon.
“I would like to know why are you raising this issue? Are you raising it because you have a claim against government? Or are you raising it because I was the lawyer of Standard Chartered?” counsel Bensouda quizzed.
Caught at his own game, Bazzi said he is doing it because he has a claim against gouvernement.
At this juncture, the Commission Chair stepped in and made it clear that there is limitation period. He said the matter can not be taken to court as the timeout period elapsed. “It is more than six years,” he stated.
Janneh subsequently ordered Bazzi to hand over the document. It was marked as “rejected” by the commission…
Bazzi needs to realize that he is facing legal issues, he better be prepared and focused.
Ms Bensouda was indeed very skillful. She gave him two options, both of which were invalid. Mr Bazzi should have answered” Neither”. Instead he dropped the ball to serve a double fault.
Bazzi is a fool. A man with huge ego, a natural dummy, whose only accomplishment is being an acquaintance of Yahya Jammeh. He had unfair business advantage as a result of his friendship with Jammeh and he got used to acting like he is better than other Gambians. He is facing serious legal jeopardy and he is too stupid to realize it. He should spend a few years in prison for conspiracy, mail fraud and tax evasion to name a few.
Once upon a time I was on transit in an airport in one of the Balkans to the West by cheap connection, looking through the wall to wall glass panels, at the heavily snow covered vicinity, as hard working workers with machines toil in the subzero temperatures clearing the snow off around the terminal and nearby motor ways, a bit amused by the sight…, then came this stranger to me introducing himself to me. He speaks Arabic and told me he is Syrian. He said he has a timber export business in Ivory Coast. I believe him because he tried to speak to me in a few languages of that country of which I understood but just two or so words of Jula, a dialect of Malinka. He said to me; ‘you really seem to be amazed by the ongoing activities outside’. I said; yes because where I come from is quite different. He said; ‘yes of course but you can make snow and many more things out there in Africa if ‘you guys’ are wise enough to make sufficient electricity’. I said to him, ‘but you have enough electricity to run your timber business …’ Then he replied, ‘yes of course, if there were enough electricity in Ivory Coast, I might not be making all the money I’m making now!’ I asked, ‘but why?’ He said, ‘because too many Ivorians would be in the business but because hardly anyone there can afford private electricity like I can, so they have to stay out of this business.’ He went on, ‘but you see man…., I employ a lot of them so it’s not so bad still …..’ I forced a giggle though my sense of instinct did not really appreciate what he said to me then at that spot, as a very young man, but it is actually now that I discern in context, his lack of respect and total contempt for the people of the country he has turned himself probably, to the tone of a millionaire. Two decades has past since and I wonder where the man is now. He may have missed Syria for the past six years. I wish him all the best wherever he is.
It is not my intention to raise any prejudice against Bazzi at all in the latter but he might have been saying to himself all the while during Jammeh’s regime; thanks to God, here in the Gambia, I’ve found a thing of a president, with a paragraph of titles to his praise, to take by his bull’s horns and make more free dough in return.
Bazzi and his colleagues are experiencing a culture shock at the moment. Since coming to the Gambia 15yrs ago, Bazzi has not met true Gambian intellectuals. Almost all the Gambians he had been in contact with where sycophants or intellectuals who prostitute themselves for positions near Jammeh, therefore they were bent and compromised beyond redemption. They are the ones who still attempt to defend their actions before the commission. Bazzi and co. must have thought that they were coming to the Gambia again to be met by people like the Saballys, Njoku Bahs, Colleys and so forth. But the Gambians they are dealing with are none like the ones they have ever met before, therefore one can imagine their shock at this new experience. Bazzi knows that he is stuffed like a Christmas Turkey but he’s got nothing left in his arsenal so he has to try to discredit the Counsel and Commissioner who makes humiliating him a past time activity, however it catastrophically backfired, adding to his humiliation. It was embarrassing to watch him that day. It was humiliation upon humiliation, I most add it was all deserved. The crowning moment was when his letter to Jammeh and the reply he got was read. That letter exposed him for the conniving, grovelling unscrupulous being he is.