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NIA Questions Ex-Ambassador Dodou Bammy Jagne

-Djibril Diabate`& Abu Kalleh Wanted

By EBRIMA G. SANKAREH Editor-In-Chief

Ex-Ambassador Dodou Bammy Jagne

In the on-going financial investigation following the detention in The Gambia on new year’s of Lamin Sabi Sanyang, Financial Attaché in Washington, DC, highly placed sources say erstwhile Gambian Ambassador to Washington, Dodou Bammy Jagne was invited for questioning by the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) in the past week. Jagne, according to our sources, was grilled on a number of things that allegedly happened under his tenure as Chief of Mission at the ill-fated consulate. Reveals Kissy Kissy Mansa, “the NIAs also requested for a written statement before the former ambassador was let go. He cooperated fully with investigators and wrote out a voluntary statement which he signed before state agents.”

While we cannot state specifically what Mr. Jagne was questioned on, we can say with overwhelming evidence that the ambassador’s six-bedroom residence in Wheaton, Silver Spring in the state of Maryland was purchased by The Gambia government during his tenure to be the permanent residence of all future ambassadors. State House sources say The Gambia Government through Lamin Sabi Sanyang bought the property in December 2007 without the prior knowledge of the Foreign Ministry. It was all between Sanyang the de facto ambassador and President Jammeh. Although a welcome development especially, considering the protracted problems associated with leasing in Washington, how a financial attaché purchases a property for the residence of an ambassador without the prior involvement of the Foreign Ministry continues to raise eyebrows within diplomatic circles. At the appropriate time, The Gambia Echo will come out with damning reports on what actually transpired between the Chinese American realtor and the consulate.    

“Earlier in the week, following Sanyang’s transfer to NIA headquarters Tuesday night; he was taken on a conducted tour of his alleged properties within the Kombos for positive identification and notation by state agents” our sources say.

In a related twist, our highly placed State House operative reveals Mr. Sanyang’s continuous detention for about two weeks now has added dimension to the case as a duo have been added to the list of wanted persons. One Ivorian born American citizen, Djibril Diabate` an alleged close associate of Sanyang is wanted for questioning over serious allegations pertaining to state matters. According to our sources, Mr. Diabate` is a computer specialist whose proximity to the corridors of power was amazing. “For about Six months, Diabate` was housed in an elaborate hotel suite at state expense. He had Gambia government vehicles at his service and the computer wizard had virtual monopoly over highly classified state secretes in his custody. He could see President Jammeh at any time and was responsible for all computer networking within the state apparatus” our sources alleged. Curiously though our sources noted, Djibril Diabate` just disappeared one afternoon never to be seen or heard again and since then, President Jammeh has been consistently asking for his whereabouts.” According to our sources, one Abu Kalleh is also a person of interest to investigators into allegations of dubious shipment receipts. “As part of the on-going investigations, Mr. Kalleh will be very helpful with respect to evidence relating to fake receipts and quotations over shipments to The Gambia and for this reason, state agents are anxious to have Kalleh before them” our sources say. Readers of The Gambia Echo will recall that in our scandalous revelation in the summer, Mr. Kalleh was allegedly paid several thousands of dollars over shipment of laptops to The Gambia as well as other references in the Nissanagate saga.