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Gambia: Former IEC Boss Appears in Court
Mr Ndondi Njie, former Chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission, yesterday appeared before Magistrate Baboucarr Secka of the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court to testify in a criminal case of forgery filed by the state against Kawsu Ceesay, former IEC Chief Electoral Officer.
In his testimony, Mr Njie told the court that he knew the accused Kawusu Ceesay, as he had worked under him at the IEC as Chief Electoral Officer. He said he was the chairman of the IEC from July 2005 to July 2006. He said he knew the Canadian company called Code Incorporated, noting that Mr Ceesay was asked to search the Internet and other means for the election materials that the IEC would need for the function ahead, adding: “This was between November 2005 and March 2006.” According to him, the IEC was preparing for elections then.
The process, he said, included searching for pro-forma invoices for identified materials that would be used.
The former IEC boss added that a proforma invoice was brought to his notice regarding that Canadian company, but Mr Ceesay was asked to look for more invoices in order to encourage competitiveness. He said around March-April 2006 another invoice was obtained from a company called Land Trading through the Internet. He said just about that time, he received an enquiry from Code Company asking when the IEC would like to receive the materials. Then he drew Mr Ceesay’s attention to the enquiry and instructed him to write back to the company that the IEC did not place any order. He stated that Code Company insisted that the materials were already packed in a container, ready for shipment. He said he told Mr Ceesay that the company just wanted to force IEC to buy the materials. He said the company indicated that they would not accept any supply that did not make full payment. He said he himself wrote to Code Company through email in March 2006 to let them know that IEC did not place any firm order, but Mr Ceesay was asked to collect pro-forma invoice.
He said IEC did not have the kind of money quoted in the company invoice. He said he called Mr Ceesay into his office and asked him if he had placed any firm order and Mr Ceesay replied that he did. He said Mr Ceesay told him that the instruction was from him, Mr Njie, though it was verbal. He said he called a meeting attended by two commission members, Sulayman Sait Mboob and Mrs Sarah Grey-Johnson, and the accused Kawsu Ceesay, adding that one Ms Safie Njie was also in attendance. At the meeting, he said, Mr Ceesay maintained that the instruction was verbal. He said he was surprised because they were still searching for more invoices since February 2006. He said the company wrote back to say that IEC had placed a firm order, and they sent a copy of the order they claimed the IEC had sent to them, bearing the signature of Kawsu Ceesay. He said he did not approve the firm order and was not aware of the order.
He further adduced that on 17th July 2006, he was removed as IEC Chairman. According to him, a few days after leaving office, Mr Ceesay sent him a number of letters. He added that the letter he received from the IEC was a memorandum purported to have been signed by him, giving instruction or direction to the Finance Department to effect payment to Code Company for the amount stated on the firm order by Mr Ceesay. He said he did not sign the memo, and he saw the memo for the first time after his removal from office. He said Mr Ceesay claimed that the instruction was verbal but forged his signature on the memo directing the Finance Department to effect payment. He said he then sent a note to the current IEC Chairman stressing that there was no contract between Code Company and the IEC, and that Code Company had no right to claim anything from the IEC. He said the normal procedure was not followed in respect of the transaction. The accused, Mr Ceesay, had earlier on pleaded not guilty to the offence.
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