Police Grant detained Gampetroleum Officials Bail pending further probes

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Mr. Saihou Drammeh, Managing Director, Gampetrolum

Police in Banjul have granted bail to detained senior officials of the Gampetroleum company last week pending further investigations into the case.

Top Gampetroleum officials were arrested early November in connection with transactions related to the trading of petroleum products. The Managing director of Gampetrolum, Saihou Drammeh, his director of operations, Lamin Gassama and one Khaddija Kebbeh, an official from GACH holdings, a local based company.

Police spokesperson ASP Lamin Njie confirmed the release of Gampetrolum officials in a brief chat with Alkamba Times.

The Gambia’s minister of Trade briefed the press earlier on the saga in early November saying the focus of ongoing investigations by the Gambia Police Force will effectively determine who and under what conditions the missing stocks were allocated.

“Since this whole saga began, the taskforce has discovered some questionable management practices which have given rise to the need for further review of the standard operating procedures of the depot, according to the Trade Minister who added: “During the week ending 31st of October 2021, the country witnessed shortage of gasoil at majority of the gas stations across the country. That’s in contrast to reports received from Gampetroleum for that week, dated 25th of October 2021 that indicated the stock balance of 6,711,514 metric tons which would have lasted eight days for the national demand. This prompted a stock verification visit on the 31st of October to the depot comprising the state security, PURA, ministry of trade, Major Oil Marketing Companies and the management of the depot mainly the general manager and the operations manager. It was found that tanks D1 to D4 were all empty while tank D5 contained 50,000 litres of mixed diesel and water. The total capacity for the five tanks is 20,000 metric tons.” Minister Keita explained to the Press.

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Mr. Sainey M.K. Marenah is a Prominent Gambian journalist, founding editor The Alkamba Times and formerly head of communications at the Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) and Communications and PR Consultant for The Gambia Pilot Program, under Gamworks. Mr. Marenah served as the Social media Strategist and Editor at Gambia Radio and Television Services. He is also the Banjul Correspondent for Voice of America Radio. Sainey is a human rights and developmental journalist who has carved a strong niche particularly in new media environments in the Gambian media industry. Mr. Marenah began his career as a junior reporter with the Point Newspaper in the Gambia in 2008 and rose through the ranks to become Chief correspondent before moving to The Standard Newspaper also in Banjul as Editorial Assistant and head of News. He is a household name in the Gambia’s media industry having covered some of the most important stories in the former and current government. These include the high profile treason cases including the Trial of Former military chiefs in Banjul in 2009 to 2012. Following his arrest and imprisonment by the former regime of President, Yahya Jammeh in 2014, Marenah moved to Dakar Senegal where he continues to practice Journalism freelancing for various local and international Media organization’s including the BBC, Al-Jazeera, VOA, and ZDF TV in Germany among others. He is the co-Founder of the Banjul Based Media Center for Research and Development; an institution specialized in research and development undertakings. As a journalist and Communication Expert, focused on supporting the Gambia's transitional process, Mr Marenah continues to play a pivotal role in shaping a viable media and communications platform that engages necessary tools and action to increase civic participation and awareness of the needs of transitional governance to strengthen the current move towards democratization. Mr. Marenah has traveled extensively as a professional journalist in both Europe, Africa and United States and attended several local and international media trainings.

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