Ex- Agriculture Minister In Court For Not Honoring Car Loan Payment!

“Kanja Sanneh has no place to live when he was fired.” Plaintiff Tells Court

By Staff Reporter Masally Trawalleh, Banjul     

A Kansas naturalized Gambian United States citizen Kanja Sanneh, who returned to his native country, The Gambia, to serve as a state Minister was rendered homeless for a while  after he was sacked by the administration of President Yahya Jammeh, a magistrate court in the regional town of Brikama  heard yesterday.  

Mr. Kanja's economic nightmares began to surface in the limelight shortly after  he was fired by the government, back in 2008, who made him to quit his high paying nursing job in the US.

A Gambian resident in Sweden—who hailed from Brikama Nyambai, Malang Sanneh is suing the former Agriculture Minister for breach of contract, and damages amounting to D100,000 dalasis, the court heard. Court papers filed by Mr. Sanneh—who claimed to be a childhood friend to the embattled erstwhile Minister indicates that the defendant Kanja Sanneh bought a 605 Peugeot vehicle from the plaintiff. He entered into a payment plan with Malang Sanneh, but he (Kanja) was found wanting, as he had pending months to be settled on his car note payment, the court heard.

According to the plaintiff, he bought the said car for his personal use, but after the completion of his vacation in The Gambia, Kanja Sanneh approached him to sell the car to him, which he never hesitated to do.

The court heard that the former Minister failed to effect payments to the plaintiff as agreed, who had rescued him from his homeless, as he Sanneh had no where to stay shortly after he was fired by the President. The plaintiff said he provided free accommodation to Mr. Kanja Sanneh, who could not pay his own utility bills during the course of his stay at his home.

The former Minister the court heard, abused the hospitality extended to him by his friend by putting Malang Sanneh into utilities arrears. Kanja was not paying his water bills to NAWEC—the country’s main electricity and water company, the court was informed. The plaintiff informed the court presided over by magistrate E.A Ahmadi that the defendant nearly ruined his life, as he was made to pay for the unpaid water bills consumed by Kanja, and his family in order to have the water reconnected to his house.

 “Kanja Sanneh  told me on numerous occasions that he has no money to pay me and he later move away from my house.  When he was leaving the house,  he left an arrears of water bills for NAWEC in the sum of D10, 000 and NAWEC had to disconnect the water supply in my house” Plaintiff Sanneh testified.

The plaintiff also accused the former Minister of being responsible for the missing titles at his house. He said he entrusted Mr. Sanneh with several cartons of tiles for safekeeping, but to his surprise upon his return to The Gambia, the titles were unaccounted for.

The plaintiff who wants to recover his car said his original plan was to sell the car and buy another one, but the former agriculture Minister hindered his dream goal to secure a new car.

According to Malang Sanneh, the defendant had in the recent past sent Salifu Jaiteh, the honorary counsel for Cyprus in the Gambia to make part payment on his behalf in the amount of D10,000 Dalasis. He also said the defendant  asked one of his Lebanese friends to negotiate on his behalf through his lawyer for the peaceful settlement of the car debt incurred.

The court heard that the former Minister reached an agreement with the suing party to settle half of the debt within three months, but the money was yet to be settled.

The short-lived former Minister served as Secretary of State for Agriculture during the period of  October 2006 to March of 2008. The matter was adjourned to February 22nd to enable Mr. Sanneh to respond to the plaintiff’s claims. The presiding magistrate ruled that the ex- minister should be aware that there is a  court action filed against him, and should be present in court or be represented by an attorney.