The Gambia Police force is currently investigating four men, accused of paying over D100,000 in fake currencies to groundnut farmers in the rural Gambia.
However, sources from Badibou told Alkamba Times that, the accused includes; a secco manager, his secretary, the president of the seecco, and staff of a reputable local bank.
Our sources further said that the suspects are said to commission the offense at Minteh Kunda groundnut selling point( Secco) in the first week of February.
Farmers who went to sell their produce to the secco had their groundnuts bought on credit, only to be paid with fake dalasi notes, currently, more than 8 complainants have given their statements to the police, and more are expected to file similar complaints since the said fake currency is said to be highly circulating in the country.
When contacted to give their official version of the story, Deputy Police Spokesman, Inspector Alieu Jamanka confirmed to Alkambas that some men were indeed helping the police in the investigation of suspected fake/ counterfeit currency payments to farmers in Central Badibou.
Inspector Jamanka wouldn’t go into details on the matter as he told this medium that the matter is currently under investigation.
“Once the investigation is complete, we’ll surely update you on all developments, regarding this matter,” Deputy Police Spokesperson told Alkamba News.
Meanwhile, Several farmers in the upper Badibou North Bank Region of the Gambia say they were paid with fake banknotes at the Badibou Minteh Kunda groundnut market under the Gambia Groundnut cooperation (GGC).
The incident has led to the arrest of the Secko president at the groundnut marketing center.
Masanneh Cham, a resident of Njaba Kunda village told popular local Radio King FM that, the false monies were detected when one Natoma Keita was paid with fake notes by GGC agents during a transaction to repay a bank loan.
Farmers marketing their produce at GGC stations say they suspect a rotation of fake banknotes used to buy produce at Groundnut selling points.
Masaneh Cham said one of the affected farmers received twenty-three thousand dalasi (D23, 000) of fake banknotes and another producer Yoro Jadama also claims that he was paid Seventeen thousand dalasi (17,000) including seven other people from Noo Kunda, Minteh Kunda, and other surrounding villages.
Police have started looking into the issue as more people report similar payments of fake monetary notes.
Yaya Nyagado, President of the association of Secko managers, said the paying farmers with fake notes happened in Minteh Kunda and when they contacted seckos in the surrounding, all Managers, AGIB workers and Secko heads said no fake banknotes were detected.
“So this happened only in Minteh Kunda”, he confirmed, saying he has been involved in groundnut sales since 2001 but this is the first time such incidents are happening.
“This year, there is no competition in the groundnut market because only GGC is buying groundnut and that why most marketing centers are congested as farmers from the Gambia and those in neighboring villages in Senegal all sell their groundnut to GGC”, he said adding that some groundnut farmers face challenges in selling produce as more Senegalese producers bring in groundnut to sell in the Gambia.
