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Gambia: Ex-Boss Denies Claim in the IEC Case

Mr. Ndondi Njie, the former boss of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has told the court that he was never arrested by the NIA, but that he was only invited to make a statement. Mr. Njie made these remarks at the Kanifing Magistrate Court on Tuesday during the cross examination by lawyer Musa Batchilly. Batchilly put it to him that, the meeting that he called with Sulyaman Sait Mboob was a plan to blame Mr. Ceesay, who has done nothing wrong. Mr. Njie replied that the meeting was not attended by Mr. Mboob alone, but that it was a normal commission's meeting. "Are you telling me that, you never had a meeting with Mboob and the accused person (Ceesay)" said Batchilly. Mr. Njie replied, "No, because there would have been other persons present at the meeting in connection with the case."

According to Mr. Njie, the said meeting was done to give Mr. Ceesay an opportunity to react, which he had done. Mr. Njie added that he was never arrested by the NIA but that the NIA came to his home and asked him to make a statement and was later invited to the NIA office for further clarification. He said he was later detained by the NIA. He denied that the issue about Mr. Ceesay did not come up while he was under detention. "The issue concerning Mr. Ceesay was dealt with by myself, long ago before I was removed from IEC," Njie said. Mr. Njie added that after his removal, he wrote a letter to the IEC informing them that Code Incorporated has no right to claim for damages, because by their own rules, all firm orders should be accompanied by full payment. Mr. Njie indicated that the specimen of his signature was not taken at the NIA Headquarters but at the Police Headquarters. He said that he did not tell the writing expert that he had a small "N" in his signature which means Njie". Batchilly put it to him that he was trying to implicate Mr. Ceesay. The 72, year old former IEC boss said. "That is ridiculous." The presiding Magistrate was Bubacarr Secka. Hearing continues. Mr. Kawsu Ceesay, the former Chief Electoral Officer of the IEC was charged for allegedly forging the signature of his former boss purporting the approval of purchase of electoral materials valued at D6 million, he pleaded not guilty to the charge.