State auditors have been reportedly mobilised for an audit exercise around the construction of the Ministry of Environment’s office complex, which was contracted to Lerr Group, but abruptly terminated towards its end.
The Gambia government and Lerr Group were locked in a protracted negotiation at the latter part of the contract about the variations that the construction group claimed to have effected on the contract. The company was claiming D15M for the afterthoughts of the office building, but the government refused to pay up.
The government later deployed armed paramilitaries at the project site in Abuko to guard it, unceremoniously bringing to an end Lerr Group’s contract.
The company has reportedly consulted senior counsel Ida Drammeh over the variation issue, but JollofNews could not establish at the time of this post as to whether any legal action has been taken by the construction outfit.
Meanwhile, reports reaching JollofNews intimated that the contract and the unilateral decision of the Minister of Environment, Rohey John-Manjang, to order the seizure of Lerr Group’s shipping containers and their subsequent transfer to Gigo construction, are reportedly subjects of a State-sanctioned audit exercise.
The minister has yet to respond to the allegation that she unilaterally ordered the confiscation of the containers in a fit of anger over Lerr Group’s “failure to put road designs” at the entrance of the environment ministry’s office complex.
JollofNews is still making efforts to speak to the environment minister about the allegation.
The Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Environment, Ebrima Jawara, has not been picking the many calls that we placed on his mobile phone to ask about Minister Manjang’s reported arbitrary move in ordering for the seizure of Lerr Group’s two shipping containers valued over D200,000. However, in text message exchanges, PS Jawara hinted at an audit exercise that the State has embarked upon, relating to the matter.
“Wait for the audit report,” he wrote back.
JollofNews will make further efforts to hear from the minister herself as to whether the allegation against her is true and if so, why did she do what she did.
