UDP Technocrat Alleges Corruption Scandals Remain Unaccounted

By Kemo Kanyi

Lare Sisay, the senior official of the opposition United Democratic Party (UDP), has raised alarm on what he described as “unaccounted corruption scandals” under the Barrow’s administration, stating one of these involved the president’s nephew.

During his recent appearance on Coffee Time with Peter Gomez, Mr. Sisay claimed that the UDP started raising alarm in 2022 to talk about the various corruption cases that the Auditor General has uncovered, stating that the audit reports are replete with large sums of money unaccounted for or discrepancies.

“We started with the D35 million that is deposited in the First Lady’s account. The security report was D160 million, still pending, nothing happened. Banjul Roads Project D2.4 billion,” he outlined. “Ministry of Health D600 million. Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation D2 billion, and Gam Petroleum D1.2 billion all remain uncounted.”

Sisay further alleged that D400 million discrepancy was discovered at the Gambia Ports Authority (GPA) in just one unit. He added that the 100 vehicles were ordered for the OIC Summit, but only 83 were delivered, and 13 are still missing, and some of the deliveries are not to specification.

The UDP technocrat also stated that D84 million was given to Chiefs, and D368 million to the IEC, which he said according to the auditors ended up in their personal accounts and they “refused” to give the auditors access to those personal accounts to see whether the money actually is there.

Mr Lare Sisay pointed out that $200 million (US dollars) was given to 10 companies. In those 10 companies, he added, “the President’s nephew’s company is one of them, allegedly.”

He further alleged that one billion was benefited by the President’s nephew out of the $200 million given, stressing that it is a matter of public record that his (President’s) nephew was given two loans. “One was D400 million, the other one D600 million from Megabank. And then Megabank being sold for less than that amount, together with all his assets.”

He said similar corruption cases were also reported at the Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA).