ASSEMBLY RECOMMENDS PUNITIVE ACTIONS AGAINST 2 MINISTERS, OTHERS OVER RUSSIAN OIL SCANDAL

The joint committee of the Public Finance Accounts Committee (FPAC) and Public Enterprise Committee (PEC) into a suspected dubious importation and sale of petroleum products from a Russian ship has recommended a vote of censure against former petroleum minister, now minister of tourism, Abdou Jobe and former police chief Abdoulie Sanyang, now minister for the interior.
The investigation started last July when Representative Sainey Jawara of Lower Saloum tabled a motion, seeking to establish a commission to investigate the alleged illegal importation of  about 36,935.614 metric tonnes of petroleum worth US$30 million into the country by Apogee FZC, Ultimate Beige Logistics and Creed Energy Limited.

The joint committee presented its report before the plenary yesterday. In the report, the committee said Minister Jobe “may have committed misconduct in office” in his role in the purported government policy that allowed owners of the Russian oil Apogee FZC to deposit their product at the Gam Petroleum depot giving them a monopoly over local oil marketing companies who were forced to switch at a high financial cost from buying directly from their traditional international traders to Apogee. 
The committee revealed that this purported government policy did not go through the due consultative process required and there was no evidence of its approval of the by cabinet, even though Minister Jobe claimed that it was discussed there.
Lawmakers also reported that the minister allegedly interfered in the police investigations following the arrest of the principal suspect in the case, Mr Aurimas Steiblys, who was arrested, detained briefly and released without charges before he reportedly absconded.
The committee also recommended initiation of proceedings of censure against former police chief and current minister for the interior, Abdoulie Sanyang, for his alleged role in “prematurely halting” the police investigation in the report of the Financial Intelligence Unit, and for failing to keep proper command authority in the handling of the investigation as IGP.
The committee noted that Minister Sanyang failed to give a full disclosure of his involvement in the matter and gave a “contradictory statement” when he claimed that he was not formally informed of the FIU report’s investigation and only became aware of the report during an informal conversation with Pa Alieu Jawara, the Commissioner of Special Investigation Unit (SIU) of the police when on the contrary, evidence showed he minuted the said FIU report to the SIU and also received a call from Minister Abdou Jobe informing him that one of their international traders [Aurimas Steiblys] was in police custody. 
The committee also recommended that the Attorney General constitute a special panel to investigate the conduct of SIU commander Pa Alieu Jawara for the investigation into an intelligence report from the FIU.
The committee further recommended for the immediate suspension of the General manager of Gam Petroleum, Yoro Jallow, and initiation of criminal perjury proceedings against him for “deliberately misleading” parliament. The committee found that Jallow acted as an agent for Apogee FZC in the sale of the oil by introducing them to local oil marketing companies.
The committee further found him “not to be truthful” in his testimony and complicit in a range of “institutional failures” and “conflicts of interest” that facilitated “preferential treatment, regulatory evasion, and monopolistic practices” in favour of Apogee FZC.

Sanctions against institution heads, banks and lawyers 
The committee found that a number of public and private institutions and individuals were found to have faulted in carrying out their duties and due diligence in the oil saga including the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, Central Bank of The Gambia, Gambia Revenue Authority, Gambia Ports Authority, Ecobank and Access Bank Gambia.
Consequently, the committee recommended for the executive to administratively hold the head of the police, Gambia Ports Authority (GPA) and the Central Bank to account for their inaction following receipt of intelligence report from the FIU.
The committee also made a recommendation for the General Legal Council to reprimand lawyer Haddy Dandeh Njie-Jabbie for overlooking a crucial aspect in the formation of Apogee Gambia Ltd. The committee said Mrs Njie-Jabbie who acted as company secretary of Apogee Gambia limited, which was a subsidiary of Apogee FZC/FZE, had failed to submit any of the documentation requested from her; and she was believed to have taken part in a supposed virtual board of directors meeting in February 2024, where a purported resolution was passed for the opening of an account at Ecobank and subsequent transfer of the funds out of the country. The committee also recommend to the General Legal Counsel to consider whether Ms Sohna Jawara’s involvement in Ultimate Biege Logistics Gambia Limited constitutes a breach of professional conduct, given her role as a state counsel and drafting of documents without full understanding or oversight of the entity’s operations.
The lawmakers also recommended the Central Bank to consider imposing appropriate sanctions on Access Bank and EcoBank for breaching prudential risk guidelines. According to the committee, Access Bank failed to implement enhanced customer due diligence procedures in the case of Creed Energy, and opening of the sub-account in the name of Creed/ Apogee FZC which allowed principal suspect Mr Aurimas to be the sole signatory to this account to carry out his suspected illicit activities by wiring a significant amount of funds to the Apogee FZC offshore account.
On Ecobank, the committee revealed it relaxed its internal controls and compliance by allowing the opening of an account for Ultimate Beige Logistics and Apogee FZC that did not qualify as a sub-account and for allowing Mr Aurimas to operate as a sole signatory to the sub account without Apogee FZC being registered in The Gambia which violates banking rules. 
On further sanctions, the committee recommends for the registrar of companies to immediately present a petition to the high court to compulsorily wind up the operations of Ultimate Beige Logistics in The Gambia and also bar Mr Nana Clifford, a Ghanaian, from acting as a director or officer in any company operating in The Gambia.  
The FIU and the Central Bank are also recommended to provide a conclusive beneficial ownership report identifying all parties who benefited directly or indirectly from the company’s transactions.
The committee also recommended that the registrar of companies immediately commence proceedings to strike off Apogee Gambia Ltd from the Companies Register.
The committee also tasked the FIU and Ministry of Justice to launch an inquiry into the true beneficial ownership of Creed Energy Gambia and whether Mr Ousman Drammeh, who is said to hold 10 percent shares in the company, served as a proxy for foreign interests.

Source: The Standard