Alhagie Conteh, Chief Executive Officer of Dabanani Energy and Electrical Company, has made stunning revelations explaining how Gambian President Adama Barrow and Chinese Energy Company TBEA connived to defraud eleven million dollars ($11 million) from Gambian taxpayers in the awarding of a twenty five million dollar ($25 million) contract for the Greater Banjul Electricity and Expansion Project recently launched.
Conteh, a renowned Businessman and a strong member of the United Democratic Party UDP made these revelations at a political rally held at his native home of Gunjur on Tuesday November, 30th 2021, where he also revealed how he caught President Adama Barrow redhanded twice stealing Gambian resources through shady electricity and energy deals.
“Before I parted ways with President Barrow, there was a time when the government wanted to implement a 150MW electricity project, they inflated the project cost upto $200 million, and I offered him my advice to stay out of that project because he has no knowledge of the sector. I told him if you approve this contract, Gambian people will pay $200 million for nothing but he told me to excuse him for he will carry on with the project,”
Mr Conteh added that a revelation of the deal would have been catastrophic if IMF and World Bank became aware of the issue and that’s why he sent an urgent letter to Hon. Amadou Sanneh.
“Sanneh took that letter to President Barrow and cautioned him about proceeding with the deal which can lead to the World Bank leaving and other donor partners also following them. That was the time he gave up.”
The former Managing Director of National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC) proceeded to revealed that he caught President Adama Barrow engaged in a second energy deal which actually succeeded and the money was shared among themselves.
“The next time I caught President Adama Barrow stealing Gambian resources was when the Greater Banjul Electricity Expansion Project was given to Chinese Energy Company TBEA, which ended up putting over $700, 000 into the account of Fatoumatta Bah Barrow Foundation, adding that this company was finally awarded the contract for bribing their way through the President.
“I told the President that the contract you want to sign with this company (TBEA) Energy Company cannot be more than $14 million and thats the engineers estimation. I advised him against awarding the contract to TBEA for $23 million. There was a balance of $11 million which Preisident Adama Barrow and TBEA shared among themselves,” Conteh further charged, adding “I want to inform all Gambians that corruption is the worst enemy of effective governance. The two incidents involving the President is the least of all corruption going on in this country and we have to stop otherwise our country will not move.”
The Successful Gambian Businessman cited Lebanon as an example of a state that was destroyed by corruption and tribalism, arguing that President Adama Barrow is an expert in corruption and tribalism.
Mr Conteh said his final episode came later when President Adama Barrow called him to enquire whether he supports him or Ousainou Darboe, revealing that he told Barrow that he is for Ousainou Darboe and is a member of the United Democratic Party.
“All what am saying took place at Statehouse and there are witnesses when President Barrow told me I should be ready for a fight. So this is my fight with the President. I haven’t stolen anything, I was only supporting the truth,”Conteh disclosed.
