Abdoulie E Jammeh, Director General of Gambia Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) on testified before Principal Magistrate Omar Cham of Brikama Magistrate Court.
Jammeh was testifying in the ongoing trial involving Inspector General of Police (IGP) and one Babucarr Sowe, former Director of Air Transport and Commerce at Gambia Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).
Abdoulie E Jammeh adduced that one Captain Parker of the Thomas Cook Group informed him of a report sent to his company detailing some of the problems at the airport, adding that flight Captain Parker later forwarded the said report to him.
According to him, immediately he received this report from Captain Parker he forwarded it to the Human Resources Director who also forwards it to the Human Resources Manager for printing.
Director General, Jammeh confirmed to the court that it was out of such report among others that the management decided to institute a Taskforce Group vested with the responsibility to look into matters concerning the airport including the case of Babucarr Sowe.
He told the Brikama Magistrate Court that the Taskforce recommended that the airport drainage lane be moved 75 meters away from the runway or be paved in a way that will enable it to handle aircrafts.
For his part Barrister Borry D. Touray, defense lawyer for Babucarr Sowe urged for the court to allow the GCAA Director General to produce the corrective action report produced by the Taskforce and the various correspondences made with Thomas Cook Group.
At this juncture Principal Magistrate Omar Cham granted the application of the defense attorney before subsequently adjourning the case to June11, 2020 for continuation of the trial.
It could be recalled that sometimes last year the Inspector General of Police (IGP) filed legal charges against the former Director of Air Transport and Commerce at Gambia Civil Aviation Authority (GCCI) for giving classified information to a third party against the rules and regulation of the institution.
Sowe a Master’s Degree Holder in Airport Planning and Management from Cranfield University was dismissed from his job on October10, 2018 and accused by authorities at the Banjul International Airport of revealing classified information to the defunct Thomas Cook Group, citing the unsafely of their aircrafts to The Gambia as reasons for his dismissal.
