JAMMEH INTO COCAINE SALE—TRAILING THE BIG STORY!!

Cocaine Scandal Rocks The Presidency

State House Whistleblower Exposed Jammeh’s Cocaine Trade

Antouman Saho, Pa Mbye, Sillaba Samateh, Numo Kujuabi, Essa Badjie, Nigerian Nationals And Others On The Spotlight

By Staff Reporter Malang Jammhe & Pa Nderry M’Bai

Email: panderrymbai@gmail.com  

Details are emerging regarding President Yahya Jammeh’s alleged involvement into cocaine trafficking in the region. On the whole, the head of state, who recently declared a “definitive no to drugs” during his Government’s 16 years anniversary held in Banjul, has been engaged in drug trafficking for a while now. We shall shed light on the story, as we proceed with this revealing testimonies coming from Jammeh’s most trusted aides over the years. These are dependable sources in active duty—handling Jammeh’s business errands. Well placed sources close to corridors of power in Banjul have been explaining to the Freedom Newspaper, how The Gambian leader allegedly trafficked cocaine into the impoverished West African country, under the disguised of importing “flour and sugar”  to cater for his growing business needs. Indeed, there is a “deep” secret behind Mr. Jammeh’s Kanilai and Banjul bakery shops. On numerous occasions, cocaine is smuggled along his sugar and flour consignments, each time Jammeh’s flour vessel ducked at the Banjul sea port, sources familiar with the President’s food importation told this paper. The Jammeh so called bakeries are merely used as “fronts” to cover his cocaine trade, said our source.

The vessel carrying the President’s flour and sugar should be investigated. Very few people are aware of the President’s alleged involvement in cocaine trafficking in Banjul.  Mr. Jammeh is being challenged to explain where the so called flour and sugar are coming from. This would help Gambians and friends of The Gambia to have a better understanding about the source of the cocaine currently scattered in the length and breadth of the country.

The information we are about to share with our esteemed readers is coming from sources in the heart of the Jammeh administration. Our sources action to spill the beans is largely motivated by  what they called Mr. Jammeh’s double standards in this whole propaganda to fight drug trafficking in The Gambia.  Our sources said they deemed it crucially imperative to speak out at this hour for the sake of posterity. They opined that while President Jammeh is trying to blame former police chief IGP Essa Badjie for the country’s drug menace, Mr. Jammeh himself had piles of dirty cocaine related secrets concealed under his closet. These sources giving account about the President’s alleged involvement in drug trafficking handled Mr. Jammeh’s “deep secrets” and one should not dismiss their testimonies in its entirety without hearing Jammeh’s own side of the story.

   Police Unloads Cocaine For Jammeh

Former police chief Essa Badjie, who is currently standing trial for defaming the President on allegations that Jammeh “sells cocaine,” was very instrumental in the distribution of Jammeh’s cocaine, sources said.  Each time, the vessel carrying the cocaine arrived at the seaport, Mr. Badjie would mobilize police recruits, and constables to help unload the President’s “flour, and sugar” as they called it here in Banjul.  The unsuspecting police officers turned (laborers) never knew that some of  the flour and sugar bags contained cocaine, the source said.  Although, former IGP Badjie knew the content of the bags at the material time. Mr. Badjie was there to execute an errand—that is to ensure that the cocaine is unloaded from the ship and safely stored at a location within the Greater Banjul Area, the source added. During the process of clearing the cocaine from the port, IGP Badjie would steal from the consignment, even though he was tasked with selling the drugs, sources here said.

Narrating the pattern of the cocaine distribution within, and outside Gambia’s frontiers, our source explained that Mr. Badjie, who served as Jammeh’s main distribution man had some Nigerian and Gambian drug dealers on his payroll. He would assign some of the drugs to the home based drug dealers for sale, while the likes of Sillaba Samateh, a Gambian naturalized Dutch citizen, and one Moroccan, national, who is  an in-law to the President were tasked with distributing the cocaine overseas, our source said. Both Mr. Samateh and the Moroccan man fled from the country, following the leakage of the cocaine scandal, which left many citizens and foreign nationals arrested in Banjul. All these, happened prior to the discovery of the one billion dollar cocaine lab at Bonto in the Western Region of The Gambia, which attracts the presence of British anti narcotic intelligence officials in Banjul, our source said. The British had since left The Gambia after taking forensic evidence of one of the vehicles associated with the cocaine trade.

 Jammeh’s Cocaine Trade Involvement?  

A monetary dispute ensued between former IGP Badjie, Sillaba Samateh, and some Nigerian drug dealers in The Gambia. The dispute goes like this: Mr. Badjie and Sillaba received a substantial amount of money from the Nigerian drug dealers with the promise of supplying them with cocaine. The said cocaine according to testimonies coming from the former police chief belongs to the President. Badjie even went as far as supplying “samples” to the Nigerians, sources here in Banjul said.

Days and weeks went by without Mr. Badjie and Sillaba supplying the cocaine to their Nigerian clients as promised. This to some extent, angered the Nigerians, who approached Pa Mbye, a former chief detective to complain against Badjie and co. The Nigerians were however, cautious about the way they relayed the accusations to Mr. Mbye—given the fact that they could be victimized by Mr. Badjie, who was widely feared prior to his arrest and detention. They told Mr. Mbye that “some officers” are using the President’s name to sell drugs.

As a former police detective, Mr. Mbye developed friendship with the Nigerian drug dealers. The Nigerians were comfortable in relating their story to him since Mbye was out of the force. The aggrieved Nigerians told Mr. Mbye that some uniformed police officers claimed that they were assigned to sell drugs for the President. And that both Mr. Badjie and Sillaba owed them money, but would not go into details regarding the type of business that transpired between them and the former police chief.

Concerned by the gravity of the allegations being peddled against President Jammeh, the former Serious Crime Coordinator Pa Mbye refused to “sit” on the information.  Mr. Mbye contacted former Fisheries Minister Anoutman Saho, a close aide of President Jammeh on a Friday to inform him that there are some “officers selling drugs” and are using the President’s name.  Mr. Mbye also asked Antouman if he could promptly contact the head of state because the allegations are damaging so to speak, sources recounted. Little, did Mr. Mbye know that he was about to step on the toes of the “untouchables.” Pa Mbye, acted in good faith by reporting “the cocaine sale allegations against the President”  to Mr. Saho, but he later turned out to be a victim.  

  How Antouman Saho Got Arrested

Like former police detective Pa Mbye, Antouman Saho too doesn’t want to see the President’s name smeared by officers, who are expected to serve, protect the law and bring offenders to book.  Little did Mr. Saho know that the President was involved in the drug deal, said our sources. The former APRC chief propagandist picked up the phone and  telephoned the President, who was believed to be at his Kanilai villa at the material time to relay Pa Mbye’s message to him. Mr. Jammeh became speechless for a moment before inviting Mr. Saho for a meeting to discuss the cocaine allegations being peddled against him by some uniformed officers.

Having gathered the relevant information from Antouman Saho, who was the Fisheries Minister at the time, a raging President Jammeh instructed his most “trusted” police chief in history Essa Badjie to institute an investigation into the matter, and possibly arrest,  and bring to book those behind the allegations that he (Jammeh) is selling cocaine. Mr. Badjie’s name never surfaced during the period in question, as among those linking the head of state to drug trafficking. Both Pa Mbye and Antouman Saho withheld Badjie’s name for fear of possible reprisals from the police chief.  

 Security Chiefs Converged At Kotu Police

Following a Presidential directive to investigate the “persons” behind the allegations that the President sells drugs, Essa Badjie summoned Security Chiefs from various units to converge at the Kotu police station at night to strategize ways and means of tackling the matter. One would be compelled to conclude that there was a coup plot in the making,  in view of the high security presence at the Kotu police station on the day in question. Mr. Badjie and his colleagues were there to figure out how to arrest those behind the Presidential drug sale accusations.

While at the station, Mr. Badjie widely known as “Jesus” phoned President Jammeh to brief him about the pace of the investigations.  Known to be a loud person, Mr. Badjie could be heard asking the President what line of action needs to be taken after the security chief’s meeting. 

   How Informant Pa Mbye Got Arrested

Shortly after wrapping up his conversation with Mr. Badjie, the President instructed the former police chief Essa Badjie to effect the arrest of Fisheries Minister Antouman Saho,  former police detective Pa Mbye, and some Nigerian Nationals connected to the incident.  The Presidential directives were that the men should be charged with “giving false information to a Public Officer” which is very common in Banjul nowadays.  Mr. Badjie and his men acted without hesitation by arresting Saho and Mbye, including some Nigerian Nationals.

Antouman Saho was detained for more than three months at the NIA before he was released, while Pa Mbye, and the Nigerian Nationals were charged with giving false information to a Public Officer. The case was mentioned in court on numerous occasions, but due to lack of reliable evidence, the case suffered a natural death, the source said. Sillaba Samateh served as a prosecution witness in the case of: IGP versus Pa Mbye and co, but reasons best known to the state, the charges were dropped.

Shortly after the arrest, and subsequent detention of former police chief Essa Badjie, Pa Mbye was appointed alongside with former intelligence chief Foday Barry to help steer the affairs of the National Drug Enforcement Agency known as the ( NDEA), which is now under the direct supervision of the President Yahya Jammeh. Mr. Mbye, who was accused of giving “false information” to a Public Officer, is now helping the state to weed out drug dealers from the country, while Essa Badjie, who prosecuted Mr. Mbye  is currently languishing in jail on sedition, robbery, economic crime and other related charges. Here is the story in which Mbye’s false information case was dropped by the state.  Courtesy of the Point Newspaper Banjul.  Clink the link below: http://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/article/former-cmc-others-false-information-case-dropped   

The whole Jammeh cocaine trafficking allegations sounds like the  famous Alibaba and the forty thieves movie. One foot is in jail, while the other is out the next day policing the state. Interesting times indeed. Wonders never ceases around the State House. Stories upon stories.  Scandals upon scandals.   

In an open letter sent to President Jammeh, Mr. Saho thanked The Gambian leader for granting him amnesty. Mr. Saho renewed his allegiance to the President and his ruling APRC.

“I avail my humble self of this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation and profound gratitude to you for pardoning me and for my release from detention. I renew my total commitment and unwavering loyalty to you and to your noble ideals,” Antouman Saho said in a letter written to Jammeh. Here is the link to the story. Courtesy of the Daily Observer Banjul. Click the link below:    http://observer.gm/africa/gambia/article/antouman-saho-thanks-president-jammeh    

 Numo Kujabi Advised Sillaba To Leave

During the heels of the investigations into persons smearing the President’s name on allegations of cocaine trafficking, reports emerged about the disappearances of a Moroccan National, who was said to be Mr. Jammeh’s distance in-law. Reports rife in town that the said Moroccan was deported by IGP Badjie to Morocco, following the leakage of the cocaine scandal.  But it was later established that the Moroccan man was never deported. He left the country on his own.  He could have been arrested if he had stayed in the country during the course of the investigations, said our sources.

Sillaba Samateh was detained at the NIA during the trial of Essa Badjie and co. He was the state star witness in the high profile trial. Sillaba appeared in court on numerous times, and openly testified that he was told by Essa Badjie that drugs circulated in the market for sale came from the President. Samateh said some part of the drugs were trafficked in the region—notably neighboring Mali, and Morocco.   

Samteh’s family applied for a bail on behalf of  Sillaba, and thanks to Numo Kujabi’s benevolence, a bail was granted. The family was compelled to provide a landed property worth of D200,000 dalasi, which the Samateh family fulfilled. The house that was posted for the bail belongs to Sillaba’s brother Ibrahim Samateh, a Gambian resident in Maryland, here in the United States. 

While on bail, Sillaba Samateh received a phone call from Numo Kujabi, the NIA Director General not to show up at the agency, because he would be arrested and detained “indefinitely” if he reports at the agency on the day in question, a source familiar with the case said.

Concerned by Numo Kujabi’s tipoff, Sillaba Samateh hurriedly left Banjul, with his wife and two kids for neighboring Senegal, before boarding a flight in Guinea, our source said.  Mr. Samateh has since resettled in the Netherlands with his family.