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Gambia: IEC Chairman Appears in D6M Forgery Case

Alh Mustapha L. Carayol, the Chairman of Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), yesterday testified before Magistrate Secka of the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court in a D6m forgery case involving Kawsu Ceesay, former Chief Electoral Officer of IEC.

In his testimony, the IEC boss told the court that he has worked at the IEC since December 1995, becoming Chairman in July 2006. He added that he had worked with the accused, Kawsu Ceesay, and the then IEC Chairman, Ndondi Njie. The IEC Chairman also told the court that he had known the Canadian company called Code Incorporated since 1996, adding that the IEC used to order electoral materials from the said company since the transition period.

He further testified that in March 2006, they had a meeting with the then IEC Chairman, adding that the subject of that meeting was the issue of electoral  materials from Code Incorporated. He said during the meeting Mr Ndondi Njie denied signing any memo, nor giving any approval for the ordering of electoral materials from the company in question. He said the memo was the handiwork of the accused who was the Chief Electoral Officer. He added that the accused did not say anything to counter Mr Ndondi Njie denial of signing or giving approval for a memo.

Mr Carayol further adduced that the accused neither presented any memo at the meeting, adding that the accused did not present any memo to him immediately after the meeting. He stated that the memo he received in December 2005 neither bore the signature nor was it backed by the approval of Ndondi Njie. He however added that in July 2006, the Director of Finance produced a memo and upon receiving it, he saw the Chairman’s signature of approval. He said he reacted by asking the Director of Finance why he did not present the document when argument on the same issue occurred between Mr Ndondi Njie and the accused. He said the document the Director of Finance produced was a signed copy and that was in July 2006. The IEC boss added that when he asked the accused why he did not produce the document during the meeting, the accused did not say anything.

Also testifying, Chief Superintendent Lamin S. Ndong informed the court that he is a hand writing and finger print expert at the Gambia Police Force. He said he underwent training at the Nigeria Federal Investigation and intelligence Bureau for 24 months.

He adduced that in September 2006, he received a document from the Inspector-General of police for examination, adding that after receiving the  document, he examined it and later called Mr Ndondi Njie, whose specimen signature he obtained. He said on inspecting the memo further, he realised that the memo presented by the accused was written on 2nd December 2005. He said that after critically examining the signature on the memo and the specimen signature of Mr Ndondi Njie, he discerned that the signature of Mr Ndondi Njie was forged on the memo dated 2nd December  2005, adding that the same memo bore the signature of the  accused. He also testified that while the accused’s signature on the memo was a photocopy, the purported signature of Mr Ndondi Njie was original. He concluded that after carrying out the examination, he made a report to that effect.

The case was at that point adjourned to 12th June 2007.