The leader of the APP-Sobeya political party, Essa Faal, has vehemently refuted claims of corruption pertaining to the purchase of land owned by the government, asserting that his activities were open, legal, and driven by a desire to invest in The Gambia and generate employment for Gambians.
Faal, a prominent lawyer and former chief counsel for the TRRC, disclosed that he paid the Gambia Tourism Board (GTBoard) $125,000 for a prospective tourism development project; he claims that the money has not yet been reimbursed.
He clarified that the procedure started after he spoke with the GTBoard’s Director General, who urged him to reapply for property after learning about his Senegalese investment endeavors.
I informed him that although I had applied, I had not been assigned. I should try again, he said, and if everything goes well, you should receive it. Faal recalled.
He said that in order to concentrate on creating jobs for Gambians, he later chose to invest in The Gambia rather than a waterfront project in Dakar, Senegal. Faal stated, “I can’t do it both, and I don’t have that money, so I cancelled my Waterfront project in Dakar.”
“In the interim, I was appointed a lead counsel at the TRRC,” he added, adding that he had produced all the necessary paperwork and submitted it to the Gambia Tourism Board (GTBoard). Faal claimed to have sought a five-hectare block of land and paid a D55,000 application fee. The initial application was submitted in July 2019, however certain supporting documentation was lacking. On July 30, 2019, I at last turned in all of the paperwork,” he continued.
The Gambia Tourism Board (GTBoard) subsequently acknowledged receipt of his application on October 2nd and October 14th, he added.
I turned in the documents after submitting my application. Since the GTBoard thought this concept was good, they sent it to the minister. It was forwarded to Hamat Bah. We have different visions for the Gambia, and I am not a member of the same political party as Hamat. Considering everything that has been revealed about him, I must admit that I do not share his belief in the NPP. I won’t lie: he is accused of corruption, among many other things. Hamat handled me rather well, particularly in the beginning. He expressed his admiration for my effort and suggested that the president view it to ensure that his goal for a new Gambia is moving forward.
He stated that President Adama Barrow and he later met at State House thanks to the assistance of Minister Hamat Bah. He was pleased when he saw it. “This is what I believe in, Mr. Faal,” he said to me. We ought to allow Gambians to make investments in their nation.
The leader of APP-Sobeya vehemently refuted allegations that he met with the president in order to sway the decision about land distribution. “To think that I, a regular person, can influence the president would be absurd,” Faal remarked. “Do you notice how thrilled the GTBoard’s director general was to pitch the initiative to the minister? The minister was so thrilled to sell it to the president as well. To be honest, the president of many nations receives the investments. Whether we like it or not, the president looks at it and says yes or no. That doesn’t imply that I wanted to get around the board.
According to Faal, the Gambia Tourism Board (GTBoard) made him a preliminary offer on January 16, 2020. His application was examined and found to be in line with the Tourism construction Master Plan for hotel construction in the West Coast Tourism Development Area (TDA), the board wrote in a letter.
Faal clarified, “I was instructed to pay $125,000 within fourteen days.” “When I questioned GTBoard where I was assigned, they responded they were unsure at the time. However, they stated that they would investigate the different places. I informed them that I wouldn’t pay until I saw the location where I was assigned. Sometimes Hamat calls and says, “Mr. Faal, you haven’t paid yet.” I respond by telling him that I haven’t been assigned a location yet. According to him, they were considering a number of locations, like Tanji, Sannehmentering, or one of the plots that was given to Sheraton since they chose not to develop it.
He stated that he met with the president after getting the provisional offer, and the president asked him how his project was progressing. “I informed him that I had received a temporary offer, but I didn’t pay because I wasn’t sure where I was assigned. According to Faal, “He told me that if you don’t pay and they don’t give it to you, it’s your problem; you cannot blame anybody.” He said that, and I felt that his statement was reasonable as well. I so told myself to pay and see what I could get. I am currently unsure about my assigned location. “I made the $125,000 payment,” he said.
He said that he was told the money was non-refundable after he made the payment. He was informed that the policy had changed when he asked more questions. They informed me that the board had made that decision. He said, “I told them it was unfair to me.”
“I don’t have any thoughts because I don’t have any understanding of what these properties were,” he said when asked how he felt when he found out that the proposed properties were connected to former President Jammeh. Later on, I discovered the reason behind all of these. The fact that Jammeh properties were in two baskets should be understood by everyone. First, they claimed that Jammeh stole state funds to purchase them for himself, and second, they claimed that Jammeh forcibly took state properties. Thus, Jammeh forcibly seized government land and returned it to the government. The leases are going to be terminated. In other words, this is government property in the Gambia that Jammeh took, not personal property.
Faal added that APP-Sobeya’s quick rise to prominence as one of the nation’s fastest-growing political parties is the reason the issue is becoming politicized. They too wish to ensnare and demolish me. I don’t mind the people they sent to assault and abuse me. I didn’t reply; my sister was insulted. They will do everything in their power to harm you if you are a budding politician. I am considered a threat by many in the Gambia’s political elite. A lot of people believe that I could be the next president,” he stated.
According to Faal, he was later offered land at Sanmentereng by the government, but he was told that this was not permanent. A letter he received said that the interministerial committee’s judgment regarding the Janneh Commission report was a prerequisite for final approval. However, they had been stealing my money for more than a year. Things changed when I declared a few weeks later that I would run for president. Essa needs to be dismantled because she is now a politician.
According to Faal, the Inter-Ministerial Committee has refused to decide on his initiative since he declared his intention to run for president. They have been keeping my money since 2020, and there was nothing I could do about it. I claimed to have been handed a TDA property when I ran for office. They wrote to me to inquire as to why I turned that down.
According to Essa Faal, he later replied to the letter from the government, explaining why the property was included in his asset declaration.
