(JollofNews) – Karamo Jawara, the principal banking officer at the Central Bank of the Gambia yesterday reveals to the Janneh Commission that all the Bank Accounts that were being operated and managed by Jammeh regime are all based on instructions and directives received.
He said the Euro denominated account number 09201200525 was open on 7th July, 2011 and was being operated by the office of the former president, Yahya Jammeh.
According to Mr Jawara the first transaction on the account was made was on 12th October, 2011 and the last transaction was done on 13 December, 2011. He added: “The letter to open the account was signed by one Lamin Sanneh for Director of Treasury and the signatory to the account was Mr Jammeh himself and Mambury Njie who was the then financial minister.” Adding that the source of funding is the state of Qatar, Doha.
He said the first withdrawal was on 23rd November, 2011 and the amount is 500, 000 Euros and the instruction was stated by order of the office of the president. He said on 1st December, 2011 a cash payment of 503, 190.97 Euros which is equivalent to D20, 500, 000 was made and that they have the voucher but they could not find the instruction because the transaction took place outside banking hours which was signed by Ousainou Corr.
The next debit transaction according to him was another cash withdrawal of 1million Euros which was a transfer executed by the treasurer at the Central Bank Njoba Sankareh and the voucher was again signed by Ousainou Corr. He said the transfer was also done outside Banking Hours.
Mr Jawara added that any senior officer at CBG can authorised payments outside banking hours and that with this particular transaction he believes there were instructions from either the director or the Governor of Central Bank.
The other debit transaction according to the principal banking officer was on 2 December 2011 and the amount withdrawn was 1m euros and was paid to global trading group. “We could not find the instruction but we have invoice from global trading and a swift copy of the dealings to global trading through their bank in Brussels.”
Testifying further, the banker revealed that on the 2 December 2011 a payment of 720, 000 euros was paid to global trading group for the purchase of four coach busses.
Mr Jawara further disclosed that the last transaction was a payment of 275, 000 euros to global trading group for the purchase of vehicles and busses and that they have the invoice and swift copy addressed to Kanilai Family Farms.
