Gambia News : President Office Petition Case Continues

The trial of Musa Kinda Bah, who was alleged to have falsely informing the president’s office, continued on Friday at the Banjul Magistrates’ Court before Magistrate Kayode.

The latest prosecution witness to testify on the case was Sub-Inspector Sulayman Gaye a police officer attached to the Interpool Department of The Gambia Police Force. Sub-Inspector Gaye told the court that on 4th May 2008, a correspondence was received from the office of the president with a petition by the accused that he was wrongfully terminated while working under Gamtel. He said in the petition the accused claimed to be possessed of a MA degree major in finance and upon his completion of it had returned from the UK and was denied to work at Gamtel. He added that after the petition was received it was sent to the office of the Inspector General of Police for investigation, adding that a panel was formed to investigate the petition. He adduced that the accused was invited and questioned on the allegation and he admitted that he did not possess the qualification he had stated in the petition. He stated that the accused only produced a diploma certificate in business administration.

Further adducing, the witness told the court that during the investigation the panel did not recover any certificate which showed that the accused possessed the qualification he stated in the petition. He said the Gamtel resource manger was invited and led the panel to the personal file of the accused of which the panel went through but only found that he possessed a diplomat. He said the accused excepted before the investigating panel of been the author of the petition written to the office of the president. He said a statement was later obtained from the accused.

The accused Musa Kinda Bah is standing trial on charges of giving false information to a public servant and uttering false documents.

On count one, the alleged offence disclosed that the accused on 4th May 2006, in the city of Banjul and diverse places gave false information to the office of the president that Senior Mangers, Directors and Heads of Department of Gamtel engaged in malpractices, wrong doings and nepotism, knowing it to be false.

While on count two, the offence revealed that on 4th May 2006 at Gambia Telecommunication Company Ltd (Gamtel) in the city of Banjul the accused Musa Kinda Bah uttered false Certificate to the Manging Director of Gamtel, claiming to possess a Masters Degree in Business Administration (finance Major) from the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom, which he knew to be false. He denied the charges.

The case was at length adjourned to the 21st of November 2008.