As Gambia sinks, Jammeh plays the flute, wires 

$4,480,634.87 millions to Lamin Sanyang, June-Dec. 2007

 --Armors 5 Armadas at $923,840, buys Euro Motors’ S600 Mercedes at $151,625 etc.

By EBRIMA G. SANKAREH, Editor-In-Chief

  When we began the startling revelations about Yahya Jammeh’s reckless spending of millions of US dollars, some of our readers were a bit apprehensive as to the authenticity of our scoop. That was then and this is now, and we continue to unravel this treasure-trove siphoned to Washington DC while the majority of our countrymen continue to wallow in abject poverty. We wish to reassure to those naysayers that this story is unassailable, incontrovertible and unimpeachable and invite the parties named in the saga to call us to any competent court of law.

Yahya Jammeh & friend, Lamin Sabi Sanyang

To pick it from where we left in Part I, readers will recall, that between June 13, 2007 and November 23, 2007, President Yahya Jammeh transferred to Lamin Sabi Sanyang a total of Four Million, Four Hundred and Eighty Thousand, Six Hundred and Thirty Four Dollars and Fourteen Cents ($4,480,634,87) In total, there were 13 wire transfers to Mr. Sanyang through Citi Bank. Of these, 2 were in June 2007, 3 in July 2007, 2 in August 2007, 2 in September 2007, 1 in October 2007 and 3 in November 2007 as graphically demonstrated last week. You will recall that we stopped at President Jammeh’s October 12 transfer of US$455,590.00 to Lamin Sanyang. Particulars? Redcoat Express for airfreight of laptops to Banjul. However, according to the records, only $1,850.37 was paid through Citi Bank check No.2335. Our sources alleged that one Abdou Kalleh is the Redcoat agent in cohort with Sanyang through most of these shipments as dubious and as nefarious as they are.

Thereafter, and curiously, there were two transfers on November 23, 2007. The first wire transfer from President Jammeh to Lamin Sanyang was in the amount of $87,960.00. Particulars? “TK/AAA Videos (video conversion).” However, on City Bank check No. 2345 the records indicate that Mr. Sanyang only paid $700 for this potentially, mysterious video conversion. On the same date, there is entry of “Wire From New York” in the sum of $22,980.00. From whom in New York? We do not know. Particulars? “Round trip tickets for Miss Black USA for July 22, celebrations.” Amazingly, in the corresponding columns showing check numbers and payments there is no entry by financial Attaché Lamin Sanyang. Then the last wire transfer from President Jammeh to Lamin Sanyang entered in the transactions was effected earlier on November 2, 2007 in the amount of $28,000.00 for cost of two “Sony style laptops” as shown on record. (Appendix II).

In appendix III, IV and V, the reader notices gross financial impropriety where the records are skewed to create both ambiguity and speculation. In these remaining tables, Sanyang deliberately and consciously failed to indicate where the funds were coming from, on what dates and in some instances; like in the case of the armoring of the five Armadas with International Armoring of Utah, he would not show the check numbers. Precisely because as a Financial Attaché and as a diplomat, Sanyang has no business meddling in National Security and Defence matters, but he still chose to, albeit, nefariously and clandestinely. However, as the records would show, while he refused to indicate the check number with which he paid the $923,840.00 to International Armoring, he may have inadvertently recorded the shipment check number, as you will see later.

The remaining expenses are as follows. On City Bank check No.2433, Sanyang paid Redcoat Express (i.e. Mr. Abdou Kalleh) $11,952.20 for “Air and Sea freight of grass& sevin granule.” On check No.2434, Sanyang pays $3,000.00 to “AcceSure”, medical supplies donated. On check No. 2436 Sanyang again pays Redcoat (his friend) $78,000.00 for purchase of new school bus. On check No.2441 Sanyang pays $35,789.64 for purchase of camcorders at one “Digital Mega Store.” With check No.2443, Sanyang pays Alpha Travels $43,475.00 air ticket costs for one Bruce Afran and others. Who is this Bruce Afran? The Gambia Echo is investigating. With check No. 2447 Sanyang pays Affordable Travels agency $1,325.00 as air ticket for one Kodou Ceesay. Who is Kodou Ceesay? According to our correspondent Waato Seeta, Ms. Ceesay is a personal friend of President Jammeh and a civil servant who was seriously injured in a car accident that almost left her paralyzed. Says Waato Seeta; the Cubans, who did a miserable job that even drew laughter among specialists in Washington during surgical procedures in the US, first treated Ms. Ceesay. The madam is back on her feet and has since returned to the dictator’s den. Let us hope that President Jammeh will also pay for the April 10-11student demonstrators who are still at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Banjul as well as those soldiers who survived the fatal collision late last month for what is good for the goose is necessarily, good for the gander.

Predictably, with no check number and no date recorded, Mr. Lamin Sanyang’s dubious “Statement of Account for The Period June to December, 2007” has an entry that raises serious questions over his activities in the United States. Under particulars described as “International Armoring-deposit for armoring 5 Armadas,” Sanyang pays $468,250.00. He would only indicate A/C in lieu of the account number; a pattern shown in several other transactions that equally raises eyebrows. According to several diplomats and security experts who spoke to The Echo on conditions of strict confidentiality, by meddling in armored vehicles contracts, Sanyang was acting illegally and may end up in big trouble for this.

Likewise his payment to Don and Brown for the purchase of 11 used buses at a cost of $291,350.00. Here too, no check number except the letters A/C. This is followed by another substantial payment by Lamin Sanyang in the amount of  $1,172,032.50 (One Million, One Hundred and Seventy Two Thousand and Thirty Two Dollars and Fifty Cents) as deposit for 31 new Blue Bird buses. What follows is yet another purchase of buses, tour buses (number not indicated) this time from Empire Coachworks in the amount of $421,625.00. In the same fashion Sanyang using the deceptive letters A/C also pays $37,328.50 to Gaithersburg Equipment for purchase of chain saws.

Surprisingly, and probably inadvertently, with the hope that no outsider let alone a journalist would have ever seen this statement, Sanyang using City Bank Check No.2469 purchased from Euro Motors in Maryland a Mercedes Benz S600 class at $151,625.00. You can try this website and see for your self, the amazing features of this car http://www.euromotorcars.com. Immediately below this transaction, Attaché Sanyang records a payment of $8,487.20 on City Bank Check No.2485 as payment to his Redcoat agent friend for Air & Sea freight even though both our State House operatives Kissy Kissy Mansa and Waato Seeta insist that the vehicle is housed at the premises of one Mr. Queen Fadera an Embassy chauffeur. Curiously, the two payments that follow suggest a shady deal in which Mr. Fadera and his colleague one Assan Jagne also described as an Embassy chauffeur are mentioned as beneficiaries of $1000,00 payments each. The two City Bank check numbers 2471 and 2472 were reportedly paid to Messrs: Fadera and Jagne respectively.

In Appendix IV, under University of Central Missouri as particulars, Sanyang pays $9,806.50 for lucky Abdou Jammeh with City Bank check No.2390. Two checks below the sequence, Sanyang pays Lucky Abdou Jammeh $10,000.00 as pocket money with City Bank check no.2393. This is followed by a payment by Sanyang of $26,203.50 to Sioux Farms with City Bank Check No.2394.

Lamin Sanyang also paid one Kalilah Allen Harris $14,000.00 with check no.2395, pays one Celi Marie Dean $10,000.00 using check no.2396 and pays Campbell and Ferrara $3500.00 for purchase of seeds with check no.2399.

What follows is the payment to his business buddy of Redcoat Express of $19,701.50 for “shipment of 4 Armadas and air freight” using City Bank Check No.2413. TO BE CONTINUED.