Kebba Ansu Manneh
Ex- Minister of Finance and Economics Affairs Hon. Amadou Sanneh, has stated that all questions associated with the D669 million revealed in the recent National Audit Office report should be directed to the Office of the President at State House in Banjul.
In an telephone interview with The Voice on Monday, he challenged the Office of the President (OP) and the Ministry of Finance to come out and explained to the Gambian people how the D669 million was withdrawn without approval.
“Both Office of the President and the Finance Ministry should also come out and explain how D183.2 million were deposited in commercial bank accounts. The erudite economist observed that it is unethical to open and operate government accounts with commercial banks, that all monies belonging to the government should all be deposited at the Central Bank of the Gambia not in the commercial banks,” Hon. Sanneh speaks out.
He dismissed all allegations linking him to the much talked about six hundred and sixty nine million dalasi (D669 Million) that was said to have been withdrawn from the coffers of the Gambia Government without any approval in 2017.
The 2017 Audit Report released by the National Audit Office has revealed gross financial mismanagement, embezzling and improper management of accounts belonging to the Gambian tax-payer.
The Audit Report revealed that in 2017, an amount of D669 Million was withdrawn from various government accounts without any approval, revealing that more than 183 Million deposited at various commercial banks have been run and managed by the Office of the President without any approval from the Ministry of Finance.
“I can tell you all those allegations making the rounds are all false without any basis or proof. As a former finance minister I can tell you neither me nor my colleague former UDP cabinet ministers are aware of these withdrawals,” said Amadou Sanneh, former Finance Minister.
He added: “I think all the questions being directed to us (former UDP cabinet ministers) should be directed to the Office of the President to offer answers. As far as I am concerned we are not aware of all these withdrawals and none of the withdrawals even comes to my knowledge.”
The Former Finance and Economics Affairs Minister who was later redeployed to Ministry of Trade has also denied any link to the opening and management of one hundred and eight three million and two hundred thousand dalasi (D183.2million), adding it is only office of the President who can answered why and how these accounts were opened with commercial banks without the knowledge of the Ministry of Finance.
“I was not aware of the opening and running of this account with the commercial banks. It is only the office of the President who can answer these questions for the public as to why they can open accounts at commercial banks without the knowledge of the Finance Ministry,” Sanneh noted.
The former finance minister also raises concerns about how the current administration is running the economic affairs of the country, saying that “the current style of managing the economy of this country will only make matters worse for Gambian people.”