By Adama Makasuba
Essa Jallow, Deputy Commissioner General of The Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA), has dismissed corruption allegations level against its officers posted at the Banjul Sea Port as false.
Mr Jallow’s dismissal comes amid allegations from a section of the business community who alleged that some of the customs officers at the Ports are illegally charging importers an extra D16,200 to clear their goods without providing any official letter from the government about the new charges.
However, the Deputy Commissioner General of the Gambia Revenue Authority, Essa Jallow, dismissed the allegation and encouraged the public to forward corruption allegations involving any of his Institution’s staff with facts and evidence.
“So, at the port, I can tell you that there is no single complaint that we have got. So, I will encourage the general public who have come in contact with anything relating to GRA work and staff corruption, let them channel it to the commissioner general and wait for action. And they have every right to follow it up,” he said.
“If you have evidence, we will deal with it,” Jallow said, adding that “once we have concrete evidence against any staff, we don’t waste time; we make sure that necessary actions are taken at the right time.”
“When it comes to matters of integrity, we have laid down rules that apply to all staff which include service rules and code of conduct. So, any staff that is found wanting we make sure such staffs are dealt with. You know in this day and age you can find allegations everywhere but they have to be genuine,” he added.
“We have in the past taken our own staff for prosecution, some of them have lost their jobs and some suspended for a very long time without payment and that’s to demonstrate the fact that there is zero tolerance for corruption in this institution,” Jallow confirmed.