By Makutu Manneh
Abdoulie Jobe, former Minister of Petroleum, Energy, and Mines, has broken his silence on the $30 million Russian oil scandal, firmly denying any interference in the police investigation that followed the arrest of the principal suspect, Mr. Aurimas Steiblys.
Mr. Steiblys, linked to the importation of the oil, was arrested, briefly detained, and released without charge before reportedly absconding. Speaking in an exclusive interview with QTV, Minister Jobe said he has been vindicated by the testimony of the former Inspector General of Police.
“As a sector minister if a representative of an international trader was arrested and I found out, I would call to say this man is a representative of the international trader and that is where it stopped,” he stated.
He further disclosed that he had written to the former Minister of Interior suggesting that, when the police investigate matters related to energy and other sectors under his purview, the relevant ministry should be informed. This, he said, would allow the ministry to provide any necessary data. “That is where it stopped,” he emphasized.
Minister Jobe questioned claims that he interfered in the investigation, arguing that his actions were consistent with his responsibility to safeguard The Gambia’s national interests.
He also criticized testimonies presented before the National Assembly, noting that many were based on verbal assertions rather than substantiated facts. According to him, available data contradict much of what was alleged. “It is the facts that vindicate me,” he said.
“My question is always, what is this scandal? Who owns the product that the National Assembly was talking about?” He asked.
The former minister stressed the need for a proper understanding of how the petroleum product value chain operates in The Gambia. He noted that data available up to the time he left office showed that nearly 97 percent of petroleum products imported and sold by Oil Marketing Companies are supplied by international traders.
“We have to separate ownership of the product,” he added. “The product is not owned by the Gambian government. The Gambia does not import petroleum products. They are brought in because of the enabling environment created by the President.”
He added, “We have to separate the ownership of the product. The product is not owned by the Gambian government. The Gambia does not bring products into this country. Products are brought because of the enabling environment that the president has formulated.”
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