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Gambia: IEC D6 Million Forgery Case,Commission Member Testifies

Sarah Grey-Johnson, a commission member of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), yesterday testified before magistrate Secka of the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court in the D6 million case involving Kawsu Ceesay, former Chief Electoral Officer of the IEC.

In her testimony, Mrs Johnson told the court that she was appointed on 1st March 2001 as a commission member of the IEC, adding that she has been one of the commission members for almost six years. She stated that she knew both Mr Ndondi Njie and the accused, Kawsu Ceesay. She further adduced that she had heard about a Canadian company called Code Incorporated, noting that the IEC used to buy electoral material from the company.

Further testifying, Mrs Grey-Johnson said that sometime in March 2006 while at the IEC office, the then IEC Chairman, Mr Ndondi Njie, called a meeting of all the commission members, including the accused. She said that at the meeting Mr Njie expressed surprise at the fact that he had been receiving a number of e-mails from the said Canadian company on a matter he never authorized. Mr Ndondi Njie, she continued, said at the meeting that he had never given authorization for the purchase of electoral materials from Code Incorporated to the tune of D6m, adding that the accused did not counter the statement at the meeting. She further testified that she never saw any documents giving approval or authorization for the purchase of electoral material at the meeting.

She added that sometime in July 2006, when Mr Njie was removed from office, she received a memo from the accused purporting approval for the purchase of electoral materials with the signature of the then Chairman. She said when she received the memo of approval, she became shocked and recalled that at the meeting that took place in the presence of all the commission members nothing was said about such a memo. She affirmed that at the time she received the memo, Mr Ndondi Njie had already been relieved of his post.

Under cross-examination by the defense counsel, Lawyer Batchilly, Mrs Grey-Johnson stated that it was the Commission that instructed the accused to look for invoices for electoral materials, adding that the accused got such an invoice from Code Incorporated. She also responded that she did not know whether the commission had investigated the matter.

Hearing into the case continues on 4th June 2007.