By Sainabou Sambou
In the High Court of Banjul today, former Programme Manager of the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP), Balla Kandeh, firmly denied allegations of corruption, forgery, and theft involving millions of dalasis from Global Fund grants earmarked for malaria research and control efforts.
Presided over by Justice Ebrima Jaiteh, the high-profile trial saw Kandeh take the stand as the first accused in a multi-count indictment against him, Omar Malleh Ceesay (Executive Director of the Health Promotion and Development Organisation – HePDO), and Muhammadou Lamin Jaiteh (former Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Health). A fourth named conspirator, Lamin Jarju, is deceased.
Representing the accused was Counsel K. Jallow, while AM Yusuf led the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
The prosecution alleges that between 2018 and 2020, the accused abused their positions to cause a financial loss of D11,480,023.00 to the Government of The Gambia. Charges span official corruption, disobedience of statutory duty, conspiracy to commit a felony, economic crimes, multiple counts of forgery, and theft of public funds in both dalasis and US dollars.
Prosecutors claim consultancy contracts were irregularly awarded to HePDO in violation of the Gambia Public Procurement Act, 2014. They further allege that several listed consultants either did not perform work or did not exist, with 13 forgery counts centering on fabricated curricula vitae in the names of Abdou Sillah, Mamout Ceesay, Basirou Phillott, and Muhammadou Sissoho.
These allegedly forged CVs were used to justify payments for studies on insecticide resistance, the efficacy of long-lasting insecticide-treated nets (LLINs), and vector control. The state accuses the accused of stealing funds in multiple tranches, including USD 59,256 and various dalasi amounts, such as D1,071,960, D1,430,420, and D1,770,452.96, between December 2018 and June 2020.
Under cross-examination and direct testimony, Balla Kandeh rejected all accusations.
“I was only doing my job,” he told the court, explaining that his role as NMCP Programme Manager was confined to signing Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with HePDO. He described a general MOU between the Ministry of Health and HePDO, followed by a technical MOU outlining study methodology, data processes, reporting, financial arrangements, payment stages, and dispute resolution.
Kandeh insisted that HePDO—an independent NGO and established Global Fund partner—handled all consultant recruitment independently.
“The Malaria Control Programme does not control how NGOs hire consultants. Our responsibility ends once the MOU is signed,” he stated.
He emphasized that all payments required approval from financial controllers: “Without the financial controller’s approval, no payment can be made, no matter who signs.”
Denying any involvement in forgery, Kandeh said he never saw or created the disputed CVs and only learned of alleged irregularities during later audits.
He defended the studies’ value, noting that insecticide resistance research was mandated by the World Health Organization (WHO) to access new-generation bed nets. These efforts, he claimed, enabled The Gambia to secure an additional USD 3 million in funding and roughly 500,000 new bed nets.
“Those studies brought tangible benefits to the country,” Kandeh asserted.
Confronted with alleged consultancy contracts, he stated that his signature did not appear on any of the documents presented by the prosecution.
“I have never seen such a CV, and I never forged anything,” he declared, also denying any role in hiring consultants, receiving funds, or breaching procurement rules.
All accused have pleaded not guilty to the charges. The trial continues tomorrow, with further testimony expected.
