The open Gambia platform has received reports from insiders at the Ministry of Religious Affairs that alleged Minister Hamat Bah is involved in a grand scheme of corruption, withholding tax that’s due to be paid to the Saudi Authorities and disrupting the operation services of the Gambia Private Sector Association for Hajj and Umrah, potentially collapsing the market affecting customers and many stakeholders to create a monopoly for his Cabal to benefit from looting.
The OG platform has corroborated these allegations by approaching some members of the Hajj and Umrah associations and saw a letter written by the
association accompanied with a comprehension data analysis comparison spreadsheet of the 2024 to 2025 Hajj package.
Many observers we contacted weren’t surprised that Mr Bah was manipulating the public as his usual trick to win favourable public opinion when they witnessed Minister Bah delivering his usual lousy classical theatrical performance during a government press conference. He performed terribly, scolding stakeholders as if they were vultures and pretending to be the good guy protecting the public. At the same time, he was geared toward covering his grand scam for this year’s Hajj program and making extraordinary millions of Dalasis, just as he did at the Tourism Ministry.
Please read the report ( presented by Vebatim) we received from the Religious Ministry!
LETHAL HAMAT STRIKES AGAIN, THIS TIME ROBBING THE GUESTS OF ALLAH SWT!
Never before has a State Minister been directly involved in Hajj operational matters like this year. Hamat Bah has been meddling in the Hajj’s operational affairs to the detriment of operators and pilgrims.
1. Initially, Hamat identified a middleman in Saudi Arabia and imposed him on the airlines licensed to ferry Gambian pilgrims for the Hajj this year. He threatened the Hajj Chairman and his deputies to sign the hotel and food services agreement, or he would have them all fired from their positions as Hajj leaders.
2. Immediately after signing the contract, Hamat ordered the airline agencies to pay an advance deposit of 40% directly to his partner, the middleman in Saudi Arabia, which effectively violated the Saudi rule of effecting all payments through the electronic system. At the time of making the payment, no single agency had enough money to pay, so Hamat forced them to apply for AGIB loans totalling over US$2 million.
3. The request by Hamat for the money to be paid directly to his partner’s private bank account is illegal because, according to Saudi Arabian law, all Hajj-related payments have to pass through the banking system of the Saudi Ministry of Hajj. The Saudi government can accurately calculate and collect taxes needed to improve Hajj facilities through that process. The Ministry of Hajj also monitors the service providers to ensure pilgrims receive value for money.
4. Furthermore, paying money directly to Hamat’s partner’s private bank account is tantamount to tax evasion. The Saudi government will not collect the relevant tax since the payment was made outside the electronic system. Value-added Tax in Saudi Arabia is charged at 15%, which means that Hamat and his gang have shared over $300,000 of tax that the Gambian pilgrims should pay to the government of Saudi Arabia.
The most dangerous thing is that Hamat’s partner knows receiving hajj payments directly into his private bank account is illegal. He knows that he will not be accountable for the over US$2 million if he refuses to provide services according to the MOU due to the illegality they have perpetrated. Hamat has orchestrated the most enormous scam in the history of Hajj in The Gambia by robbing Gambian pilgrims and the government of Saudi Arabia.
5. Hamat flew back from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where he met his partner a few days ago. Could it be that those monies found their way into the Minister’s pocket? Your guess is as good as mine.
6. The Minister habitually acts arrogantly without fearing repercussions or accountability for his actions. You will recall his flagrant disregard for the National Assembly during his Minister of Tourism and Culture term. Sadly, this sheer arrogance, with little or no respect for people, protocols, and processes, is threatening the success of this year’s hajj, with arrangements that have endured over the years being put aside.
7. Worryingly, most hajj operators are hardworking women who deserve encouragement, but the Minister’s actions are not creating the right enabling environment for them to thrive.
8. This is the end of part one of the episode on Hamat and his axis of evil as they wreak havoc on Gambian pilgrims. More disturbing revelations on the Hajj are underway in parts two and three, so audience discretion is advised.
Your support means the world to us! Please follow our page to keep up with our latest posts, and don’t forget to hit that like button and share our content with your friends. Thank you for being a part of the OPEN GAMBIA PLATFORM community! Article contributed by ANON on 07th February 2025! Views expressed by contributors are strictly personal and not of TheOpenGambiaPlatform!
You can now write for the Open Gambia Platform, share information anonymously, and join the community. Please share your stories!
