By Justice Sam, Banjul.
Charles Northfield, the General Manager of the Australian mining company Carnegie, appeared before the High Court in Banjul, yesterday charged with three counts of “economic crime” and stealing, the Freedom Newspaper can reveal. The worried looking Briton, who was hurriedly arraigned before the High Court, was also indicted for conspiracy to commit felony, among others. The British mining Engineer, who denied the four count theft charges has been helping the police in their investigations for the past couple of days.
Court papers read in court revealed that Carnegie was engaged in an alleged economic crime activities, which according to the state was detrimental to the nation’s ailing economy. The State Law office, known as the Attorney General’s Chambers, accuses Carnegie of perpetrating what it calls “untold economic exploitation” against The Gambia and her people.
48 years old Charles Northfield, whose Sanyang offices was closed by the Government last week, if convicted, he is likely to face between ten to fifteen years behind bars. His company assets in The Gambia, also risked being forfeited to the state, according a legal luminary who spoke to the Freedom Newspaper Thursday.
Economic crime is a severe offence and is punishable by law. The Government says it had enough evidence to prosecute and convict the Carnegie boss. A list of witnesses have been lined up to testify against Northfield.
Carnegie’s parent company in a statement rebuffed the Government allegations. The firm denied stealing any dime.
"The Company wants to make clear that a component of mineral sands (Ilmenite, for which we are licensed to mine) is Titanium and Iron oxide. We would also like to clarify that trace amounts of uranium occurring in the Gambian minerals sands are usual for such deposits and cannot be economically extracted and therefore have no commercial value," said the statement.
Sometime last week, the country’s Foreign Minister Chrispin Grey Johnson summoned a press conference, explaining why Carnegie’s license was revoked by the Government. The Minister accuses the Australian mining firm of ripping off the nation.
Concerns were raised at that press conference by the British High Commissioner to The Gambia, regarding the safety of Northfield. But the Justice Minister assured the High Commissioner that justice would take its cause on the said matter. The Minister says Northfield was in safe hands and would face the law as required. Trial into Northfield’s case continues.