Jammeh Accused Of Stealing 80,000 Euros Hummer!!

Gambian President And Co In A Grand Hummer Larceny Scandal

STOLEN VEHICLE INVOICES PUBLISHED!!!

By Pa Nderry M’Bai, Raleigh NC

Email: 919-749-6319                                                        

Email: panderrymbai@gmail.com  

Gambia’s President Yahya Jammeh, and some of his former close confidants have been named in a grand larceny case, the Freedom Newspaper can report. The allegations leveled against Mr. Jammeh, and co revolved around a “car theft, robbery, and intimidation scandal.”  The Gambian leader allegedly seized a Hummer truck belonging to one Alhagie Jeng, alias “Alhagie Betty” after  Mr. Jeng refused to sell him his Hummer worth 80,000 Euros.   Mr. Betty, who resides in Holland said he is a victim of robbery perpetrated by The Gambian leader.  He has furnished us with documentary evidence pertaining the said Hummer President Jammeh allegedly seized from him. 

Narrating the facts of the case, Mr. Jeng said it was sometimes  in  January of 2005, he shipped  a Hummer truck worth 80,000 Euros, he bought from a German based General Motors Company to The Gambia.  His expectations to ride on the luxurious Hummer during a planned visit to the impoverished West African country dashed away. Mr. Jeng  received information from his parents that the President Yahya Jammeh insisted that the Hummer must be sold to him, or  otherwise he might risked losing it.

According to Jeng, former Army Chief Lang Tombong Tamba, former Kanilai Camp commander Kawsu Camara, alias Bombaredeh, and  Major Khalipha Bajinka, now on exile in the United States allegedly delivered the Hummer to President Jammeh at  the State House, despite his repeated protest that the Hummer should not be given to Jammeh under any circumstances. 

Mr. Jeng said his father was summoned to the President’s office, where the old man was intimidated by masked soldiers.  Mr. Jeng’s  father was cornered to sign a paperwork that he agreed to sell the Hummer to President Jammeh for $40,000 dollars—opposed to the original value of  the truck, but he refused to heed to the soldier’s pressure. His refusal to sign the paperwork,  compelled Lang Tombong Tamba to telephone Alhagie Betty, warning him about the possibility of him (Betty)  losing his Hummer because he  said the President  Yahya Jammeh earmarked the truck.  Mr. Jeng could not hold his anger and frustrations, as he resorted to insulting General Tamba on the phone, he said.

“ I told him that I am not going to sell my Hummer for $40,000 dollars.  That, if President Jammeh wants the truck let him pay me 80,000 Euros because that is how much I bought the truck for from General Motors. I also told Lang Tombong Tamba that why are they taking the law into their own hands.  The Hummer is my legitimate property but they forcefully seized it from me without any legal recourse,” he said.

After a bitter exchange of arguments with General Tamba, Jeng received a word from Banjul that the State House wanted him to pay a port handling fee of D1 Million dalasi in order to have access to his Hummer. He instructed his bank,  the Trust Bank Gambia  Limited to release one million dalasi from his savings account to his father to meet the port fee charges, he said.

Having provided the necessary funds to clear the Hummer from the ports, the State House told his Dad that he either sells the Hummer to President Jammeh for $40,000 dollars, or he would have it forfeited to the state.  And that’s exactly what happened. Jeng’s Hummer was seized by President Jammeh, following a stalemate over the issue of sale, Alhagie Betty tells Freedom Newspaper in an exclusive interview.

Mr. Jeng contacted General Motors, who advised him to seek legal action against the President, and all those associated with the Hummer theft, but due to lack of justice in The Gambia, Jeng said he was not convinced that nothing substantive would come out of what he calls “ Jammeh’s grand larceny.”  He said he was robbed off  in broad day light in The Gambia by Jammeh and his co partners in crime.

Mr. Jeng’s father left the State House with a heavy heart. He could not clear the Hummer which was registered in his name even though he has the funds to pay for the ports handling fee charges.  He was told to leave the State House. Mr. Jeng's Dad spent days, and months crying because of the injustices meted out to him. He could not come to terms that the regime under the leadership of President Jammeh would seized his son's Hummer.

According to Mr. Jeng, the soldiers involved in his Hummer’s seizure,  have been jailed, and one of them exiled by President Jammeh on state security related issues.  He said Jammeh himself will  one day account for his stolen Hummer. He said the actions of Jammeh and co tantamount to stealing.

An invoice sent to the Freedom Newspaper by Mr. Betty regarding the said stolen Hummer indicates that the Hummer was addressed to Alhagie Kaba Jeng and Baboucarr Ngum, both of whom of 46 Allen Street, Banjul, The Gambia.  The vehicle’s Vin Number, and sale papers were scanned and emailed to the Freedom Newspaper by Mr. Jeng himself.  Mr. Betty insists that  he owns the Hummer Jammeh is riding between Banjul, and his home villa Kanilai. 

                        Jeng Migrates To Senegal

After losing his Hummer, Jeng migrated to neighboring Senegal. He closed his bank accounts, and other investments in The Gambia in retaliation. He said he felt betrayed, and mistreated by the very system that he looks up to for justice and fair-play. 

Jeng moved to Touba Murit, where he was welcomed with an open arm by the Chief Mourit and his followers. He was allocated with a piece of land. He got married to a  Senegalese. He has since been engaged in charity work in that country, by extending helping hands to the poor and the needy, he said. 

Mr. Jeng found his way in Europe after he illegally boarded a ship in Mauritania in the early 80’s.  He never obtained a Visa. He said his life has been a tough one—walking in and out of European jails. He said he is capable of  employing the same terror Jammeh meted out to his parents if he wants. 

“ I have been to jail many times. I can be bad if I want to. They think that they can terrorize my parents and get away with it.  I could equally do the same thing to their parents if I had wanted. I am not just interested about drama. One day God will hold them accountable for their own crimes,” said Alhagie Betty.

Jeng said his original plan was to engage in rice importation in The Gambia with some of his Indian friends, but the regime frustrated his efforts by illegally seizing his Hummer.  He said he could have given the Hummer to Jammeh as a gift provided that he Mr. Jammeh did not use force to intimidate his parents.  But he said the mere fact that the Hummer was taken away from his father without due process, goes to show that tyranny rules in The Gambia. He said his case, was a clear evidence of power abuse, and persecution in that country.

While in Senegal, Jeng met some influential Government functionaries. He said President Wade’s personal aide informed him that President Jammeh used his stolen Hummer to welcome them during the country’s independence celebrations in 2005.  Mr. Jeng said President Wade and his delegation were surprised by the presence of Hummer in The Gambia because at the time there was no Hummer in Senegal.

“ I was the first Gambian to import Hummer in our country, and the region.  President Wade was impressed by  the reception meted out to him and his delegation in Banjul. They rode in my Hummer, which was stolen by the President,” Alhagie Betty said.

Mr. Jeng said since the seizure of his truck, he had been playing low profile in Senegal. He said he has never confided with the Senegalese local press about the injustices meted out to him by the Jammeh regime.

“ You are the first journalist to report on my case. I have access to the Senegalese media but I never complained to them.  I remember inviting the former BBC reporter Ebrima Ceesay to my home in Touba. He is aware of my case.  I felt that now is the time to spill the beans. I read a piece in your paper talking about my stolen Hummer. If you had not contacted me, I wouldn’t have talk about it,” he said.

The State House could not be reached for immediate comments. Mr. Khalipha Bajinka, is free to give us his own side of the story. Ours is to seek the truth, nothing but the truth.