The theft case involving former Mayor of KMC and Chief Scout Commissioner of the Gambia Scout Association (GSA), has gained momentum, following the testimony of Gibril MS Njie, Finance Commissioner of the GSA.

Appearing before Principal Magistrate Moses Richards of the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court, Mr Njie confirmed to the court that he is a resident of Bakoteh Housing Estate and that he knew Alieu Momar Njie (the accused person) as the Chief Commissioner of the GSA and a member of the Scout Council.

In a one and a half hour marathon testimony and cross examination, Mr Njie, said the allegation of financial mismanagement against Alieu Momar Njie was made by the executive committee of  GSA.

The first prosecution witness said the accused was dismissed in 2004,  which prompted an executive committee meeting. He said: “Allegations of financial mismanagement against the accused, include mismanagement of deposits recieved from participants for a jamboree, misuse of the associations vehicles and proceeds from the hiring of the said vehicles, misuse of subventions from Dannish Scout for the Soma Skills Centre.”

According to GSA Financial Commissioner, a new project called Jacob Foundation, which was coordinated by one Mr Jatta, was described by the sponsors as the best within the sub-region.

He told the court that, in 2004, the International Muslims Scout in Jiddah sponsored the ECOWAS Jamboree in The Gambia at a tune of US$10,000. He said a finance committee was set up for the disbursement of the fund. However, he disclosed that Alieu Momar Njie single handedly carried out the disbursement and came up with unexpected expenditures for the committee.

“Out of the ECOWAS member states, only Sierra Leone and Liberia participated in the jamboree,” he recalled.

He added that Mr Njie had contracted a loan of US$30,000 from the Jammeh Foundation to open a Scout Shop and then prepared an agreement to pay D600, after a six-month grace of the contract.

According to the witness, he took over the portfolio of Finance Commissioner at the Gambia Scout Association in 2005 and had inherited a abalance of D58,000 in the association’s account from his forerunner, Mr Momodou Cham.

“A total amount of D73.4 million was collected from participants to attend the Jamborees which were supposed to be held in USA, UK and Germany. To this end, he said eight participants were selected to participate in a jamboree in Germany, as well as an excort to be sponsored by the GSA. “So Chief Scout Commissioner Njie gave an increase of D30,000 for the tickets and other expenses for Germany participants,” the the witness told the court.

Gibril Njie explained that August Prump, a charterred accountant, was assigned to audit the association’s accounts, alongside the Jacob Foundation’s account, which is the second account of the association.

He informed the court that a land was given to the association by the Chief Scout of The Gambia, President Jammeh.

During a cross examination by Defence Counsel Badou Conteh, the witness maintained that all what he had told the court was the truth and noting but the truth. “I have no cause to tell lies in court as an elderly man sworn on oath,” he said.

The case was then adjourned for contnuation. ASP Bojang represented the IGP in the trial.