HEZBOLLAH NETWORK IN THE GAMBIA – WHAT IS NEXT ?

TAJIDEEN CHANGES THE NAME OF HIS BUSINESS IN THE GAMBIA !!!!

By an Insider Banjul

Reference is given to the series of articles the Freedom Newspaper published regarding the Tajideen brothers who have been  black-listed by the US treasury department as major financers of the Hezbollah terrorist network, see the first of the revealing series at http://www.freedomnewspaper.com/Homepage/tabid/36/mid/367/newsid367/5778/Breaking-News-Gambia--US--Govt-Says-There-Are-Lebanese-Companies-in-Gambia-Affiliated-With-Hizballah-Terrorist-Group/Default.aspx

Later on the Freedom Newspaper revealed that the Tajco business run by Hussein Tajideen is partly controlled by Jammeh and / or his wife http://www.freedomnewspaper.com/Homepage/tabid/36/newsid367/6927/mid/367/Gambia--JAMMEH-VS-TAJUDEEN---A-MASKESHFT-FOR-ECONOMIC-CRIMES-AND-FINANCING-OF-TERRORISIM/Default.aspx

The Tajideen brothers have a long history of problems with the law in various contries around the globe:

Belgium – one of the brothers has been arrested in Belgium in connection with fraud, money laundering and the smuggling of conflict diamonds http://counterterrorismblog.org/2009/05/hezbollah_supporters_targeted.php

Angola – Angola expelled the Tajideen brother´s business because of their links with financing terrorism, http://www.freedomnewspaper.com/Homepage/tabid/36/newsid367/6923/mid/367/Breaking-News-Gambia--ANGOLA-EXPELS-GAMBIA-BASED-LEBANESE-BUSINESS-OUTLETS-LINKED-TO-TERRORISM/Default.aspx

Congo – a wikileaks documents reveals that Congo Futur, owned by the Tajideen family, is expected of criminality, http://www.cablegatesearch.net/cable.php?id=00KINSHASA8363

All publications in the international press and the sanctions of the US treasury department have not stopped the dealings of the Tajideen clan in The Gambia. Our cherished nation is still a safe heaven for these Lebanese hezbollah financers although there is an interesting development that has taken place.

Hussein Tajideen´s changed the legal name of their business in The Gambia. All outings of TAJCO has been removed from the buildings and painted so that name is nowhere to be seen !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Also the website of TAJCO Ltd is out of the air. Previously the www could be accesed through WWW.TAJCO-LTD.COM and WWW.TAJCOGAMBIA.COM but these link gives you a note that the domain is missing from the web server configuration. 

The activities of the Tajideen clan are a major topic of concern for the Gambian business community. I have discussed the matter with several large players in the importation field and they all feel that Tajideen is first of all spoiling the name of The Gambia internationally and secondly they have simular complains as operators in Congo about the lack of a level playing field in the importation business.

All 3 importers i have visited mentioned that they are curious to see what will happen if Tajideen is called for answering to the commission of inquiry into tax evasion.

It can be recalled that ruler of The Gambia instituted  a commision of inquiry look into tax evasion,  http://observer.gm/africa/gambia/article/tax-commission-begins-sittings-today

Since the start of the enquiries several groups of professionals and companies have beencalled upon to answer:  lawyers (http://dailynews.gm/africa/gambia/article/tax-commission-hears-four-top-lawyers), GMS companies (http://www.ghanamma.com/2012/01/gambia-gsm-companies-and-more-legal-practitioners-appear-before-the-tax-commission/), hoteliers (http://observer.gm/africa/gambia/article/hoteliers-appear-before-the-tax-commission) and also car dealers (http://allafrica.com/stories/201201240510.html) have been questioned.

The importers of foodstuffs looked especially at the Shyben A Madi company car division appreance before the commission because Shyben A Madi is also a major importer of rice, sugar, flour just like Tajideen.

Shyben A Madi was ordered by the commission to:

1. Copies of business registration certificate;

2. Copies of returns of corporate tax assessment from 1999 to 2011;

3. Audited account;

4. Schedule of list of all staff;

5. Copies of evidence of payment of corporate tax from 1999 to 2006;

6. Payee tax receipts from 1999 to 2007;

7. Evidence of payment of sales tax;

8. Records of all sales of cars from 1999 to 2011; and

9. Evidence of all imported cars from 1999 to date.

(http://observer.gm/africa/gambia/article/more-testimonies-at-the-tax-commission)

Especially point number 9 is of interest to the other importers. Shyben A Madi has been ordered to    proof evidence of all imported cars from 1999 to date.

The question is what will happen if also Tajideen has to proof all his imports for a period of 12 years. The tax commission will be interested to look at the value of the imported goods. They will soon realise that the value of the import is gross undervaluated compared to world market prices and this could reveal one of the ways Tajideen is being able to compete everybody. Also people are interested to know if Tajideen complied with all his other tax obligations.

Fact is that Tajideen staffs are already complaining about the lack of payment and contributions to social security on behalf of the staffs, see Foroyaa online http://www.foroyaa.gm/modules/news/article.php?storyid=8615

An interesting side line tot his story is that Lai Joof, one of the trialled and jailed people in the treason trial used to be the clearing agent of Tajideen’s business. This is what made Lai Joof a rich man for all standards. He was even accused of financing the plotted coup under general Tamba (said Lai Joof and Ezzedin were tasked with financing the coup operations by ensuring that arms were secured from Guinea Conakry), source http://www.freedomnewspaper.com/Homepage/tabid/36/mid/367/newsid367/5044/Breaking-News-Gambia-TREASON-TRIAL-Kukoi-Cham-Kinteh-Drammeh-Tamba-and-others-Exposed/Default.aspx

We will all be watching what the newest developments in this case will be. We are all concerned because we do not want The Gambia to get the image as a safe heaven for terrorist financiers.