By: Haddy Touray
Honourable Yaya Menteng Sabyang, National Assembly Member (NAM) for Latrikunda Sabiji Constituency, has made an impassioned call on the National Assembly Special Select Committee to launch a thorough investigation into the sale of 4,376 tonnes of heavy mineral concentrate that belonged to Alhamdulilai Petroleum Mineral Company (APAM) but was later seized by the Barrow Government.
The outspoken politician noted the circumstances in which these 4,376 tonnes of heavy mineral concentrate leftover were sold by Gambia Angola China Holding (GACH) Mining Company, noting that even though GACH did not mine the mineral sold, it ended up receiving 40% of the share of the process.
He stressed that there is need for the Special Select Committee of the National Assembly to thoroughly scrutinised the actual number of leftover tonnes of minerals concentrates sold by GACH and amount of money received by Government, challenging the Department of Geology and Ministry of Petroleum to cooperate with the National Assembly Special Select Committee and help them do their due diligence into the matter.
“For me, if you ask me whether the National Assembly Special Select Committee is investigating the assets of Yahya Jammeh. I will say, start the investigation from the leftover minerals seized from APAM by the Government. APAM is a company owned by the former President, meaning both the company and its assets belong to Yahya Jammeh,” the Concern citizen told The Voice in an exclusive interview.
He added: “Secondly, if you go by the Investigative report received, you will realise that there are a lot of discrepancies in the selling of these mineral deposits left behind by APAM. To clear all these doubts in the heart and mind of the Gambian people. I would like to appeal to the National Assembly Special Select Committee to judiciously probe into this matter without fear or favour, these are no longer properties of Yahya Jammeh, they are the properties of the Gambian people.”
The Permanent Secretary (PS), Ministry of Petroleum, Lamin Camara enquiring whether the sales of the 4,376 Tonnes Heavy Mineral Concentrate were done before the starts of the Janneh and to also confirm whether Gambia Government only received $205, 000, from the total sales of the 4, 376 tonnes of Heavy Mineral Concentrates left at the coastal settlement of Sanyang.
The net profit should be shared; 60 percent for the government and 40 percent for the company. In this case, however, Gach only exported the sand minerals mined by another company and did not incur production costs. Yet, the agreed share distribution applies, a position defended by Lamin Camara, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Energy.
The revenue accrued from mining has not been reflected in the national budget, both for 2017 and 2018, noting that the medium has confirmed that in 2019, a total of 351 twenty-foot containers were shipped to China.
