Sergeant Modou Saine, former personal assistant to the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of the Gambia Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Mamat O. Cham, has leveled fresh allegations of corruption and abuse of office against his former superior, including claims involving an unlicensed private security company.
In an interview with Kerr Fatou, Sgt. Saine alleged that Lt. Gen. Cham is the owner of a security firm operating under the name Trustee Security, with a listed address in Latrikunda German. According to Saine, the company has been operating in violation of regulatory requirements under the Private Security Companies Act.
Saine claims that Trustee Security has failed to renew its operating license, contrary to Section 13(1) of the law, which mandates that companies apply for renewal at least three months before the expiration of their licenses. He further alleged that despite continued operations, the company has not complied with this requirement.
As part of his claims, Saine provided Kerr Fatou with a letter from the Ministry of Interior dated March 19, 2025, addressed to Trustee Security. The letter states that the company was operating with an expired license and warns that failure to regularize its status would result in closure.
“I write to kindly inform your office that the above-mentioned Company is operating with an expired license,” the letter reads in part. It further cites Section 13(2) of the Act, which stipulates that failure to renew a license within the prescribed period results in automatic revocation and cessation of operations.
The Ministry’s correspondence urged the company to comply with the law by April 15, 2025, warning of consequences in the event of continued non-compliance.
Sgt. Saine also alleged that Trustee Security has not paid income or social security taxes for its employees since 2017. Despite this, he said, the company continues to provide security services to major institutions, including Bloom Bank, covering multiple locations as well as the residence of the bank’s managing director.
These allegations, if substantiated, raise serious concerns about regulatory enforcement, tax compliance, and potential conflicts of interest involving a senior military official.
At the time of publication, Lt. Gen. Cham and Trustee Security had not publicly responded to the allegations. Authorities have also not issued any public statement regarding enforcement action following the Ministry of Interior’s warning.
Comments are closed.