Supt Manlafi Sanyang, the former head of Vehicles and Logistics Unit at the State House, has given a detailed evidence at the Banjul Magistrates Court, presided over by the senior magistrate, Kayode Olajubutu.

In his evidence-in-chief, Supt Sanyang told the court that he has 26 years of experience in the police and was attached to State House as a vehicle controller. He said his duties as the head of the unit entails the maintenance of the vehicles. According to him, he used to be present at the auction of government vehicles, under the supervision of the Department of State for Finance and Economic Affairs.  

He said government vehicles are always registered under GG number plates, while the security vehicles are given a private number in consultation with Department of State for Works and Infrastructure, responsible for registration of government vehicles.

At the court, Supt Sanyang denied knowledge of BJL 4591A, but confirmed knowing about BJL 4591B, which was the property of the defunct Youth Development Enterprise (YDE).  

The former head of the Vehicle Control Unit recalled that sometime in September 2001, when the country was bracing up for the 2001/2002 presidential and National Assembly elections, Baba Jobe, the former majority leader of the National Assembly and NAM for Jarra West, bought 41 new pick-up vehicles, which were put under his command for use in the campaign.

“I personally went to TK Motors to pick or collect the said vehicles which were already registered under the name of the Youth Development Enterprise (YDE) and [I was] accompanied by some drivers. The said vehicles were taken to Gamwater as the base for APRC’s campaign. I was in charge of the said vehicles. We took the vehicles on a road test in order to boost the morale of APRC party supporters; to show to the people how prepared the APRC was for the 2001/2002 elections”, he said.

According to Supt Sanyang, they later took the vehicles up to the Central River Region (CRR) and on their return, the convoy was involved in an accident around a village called Masembeh in the Lower River Region (LRR). He said the vehicle (BJL 4591B) suffered damage and was parked at Gamwater in Kanifing. He said the then majority leader, Baba Jobe, was informed about the accident and he immediately replaced the wrecked vehicle (BJL 4591B) with another one (BJL 4683B).

Manlafi Sanyang recalled a day after the 2001/2002 presidential and National Assembly elections, when Mr Abdoulie Kujabi, the then director general of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), called him on the telephone and introduced him to one Alagie Conteh, who wanted to buy the wrecked vehicle parked at Gamwater Company in Kanifing. Supt Sanyang told the court that Adoulie Kujabi informed him that the proceeds of the purchased vehicle would be used to repair another vehicle parked at Madis Garage, which would be given to the president’s family.

According to the former head of the Vehicle Control Unit, several negotiations between him and Abdoulie Kujabi convinced him that he had gotten the clearance from the president for the purchase of the vehicle.

“It was based on the said instruction from Abdoulie Kujabi that I sold the vehicle at D75,000 to Alagie Conteh and the money was given to Abdoulie Kujabi,” he told the court.

Sanyang told the court that it is not possible to register a vehicle twice. He asserted that ownership of a vehicle may be transferred up to 100 times, but it’s not possible to register a vehicle twice.
 
At the court, Supt Sanyang gave a brief description of procedures involved in the registration or transfer of government vehicles from one department to another. He strongly denied stealing the D75,000 and further denied knowledge of BJL 4591A vehicle.