By Staff Writer
Sergeant Modou Saine, former personal assistant to the former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Lieutenant General Mamat O. Cham, has leveled fresh allegations of financial misconduct against his former superior, claiming the CDS orchestrated the sale of coconut seedlings under questionable circumstances.
In an account shared with Kerr Fatou media, Sgt. Saine alleged that Lieutenant General Cham sold more than 400 coconut seedlings, valued at approximately GMD 475,000, to the Gambia Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA). The seedlings were reportedly supplied as part of an airport beautification project undertaken ahead of the 2025 Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Summit.
According to Saine, the transaction was misrepresented as an official supply by the Gambia Armed Forces (GAF). He claimed, however, that the seedlings in question were originally part of former President Yahya Jammeh’s coconut plantation and were sourced from the Wadner Beach nursery, which was under the control of the GAF Agricultural Task Force.
Saine further alleged that the CDS used an invoice issued in the name of a retired staff sergeant, identified as Kinteh, to facilitate the transaction. Kinteh, now reportedly working as a flower vendor at the Abuko Nature Reserve, was allegedly presented as an official Army vendor in dealings with the Civil Aviation Authority, despite not holding such a status.
The former aide claimed that Kinteh and General Cham had a longstanding acquaintance dating back to their time in Kartong during the First Republic. He maintained that Kinteh’s documentation was used to bill the GCAA for the seedlings.
Detailing the alleged distribution of proceeds, Saine stated that upon receipt of payment, he was instructed by the CDS to give Kinteh GMD 22,000. He further claimed he was directed to deliver GMD 50,000 to the Office of the National Security Adviser, Abubacarr Jeng, though he said he was not informed of the purpose of the payment.
In addition, Saine alleged that he was ordered to deposit GMD 275,000 into an account belonging to the CDS at the Arab Gambian Islamic Bank (AGIB), described as a pension account. The remaining balance of GMD 128,000, he claimed, was distributed among the CDS’s wife, mother, and other relatives.
The allegations have not yet been independently verified, and Lieutenant General Cham has not publicly responded to the claims at the time of publication. The Gambia Armed Forces and the Gambia Civil Aviation Authority have also not issued official statements regarding the matter.
The claims add to a growing list of accusations made by Sgt. Saine against his former boss, raising concerns about procurement practices and accountability within the country’s security sector.
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