By Landing Ceesay
Muhammed Sissoho, continuing his testimony as the Fourth Prosecution Witness (PW4) in the ongoing Ministry of Health Officials’ Corruption Trial, informed the court that he has never entered into a contract with the Health Promotion and Development Organization (HePDO) nor authored a report concerning the malaria program.
According to the Police Investigator, their inquiry revealed that Muhammed Sissoho and three others were identified by HePDO as consultants for the Global Fund Malaria program. The Investigator further disclosed the discovery of contract documents, CVs, and reports allegedly attributed to Mr. Sissoho and his counterparts following a survey.
However, Mr. Sissoho vehemently denied any involvement in the malaria program, stating that his acquaintance with HePDO only began when he was summoned for questioning by the Gambia Police Force Fraud Squad.
During previous proceedings, Mr. Sissoho recounted interactions with Lamin Jarjou, who, at the time, served as Deputy Program Manager of the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) at the Ministry of Health. Mr. Sissoho detailed withdrawing over one million dalasis and delivering it to Mr. Jarjou. He elaborated on cashing three cheques from Access Bank, each exceeding five hundred thousand dalasis, provided by Mr. Jarjou. Additionally, Mr. Sissoho mentioned receiving two further cheques from Mr. Jarjou at a later stage.
“After some months, he (Lamin Jarjou) gave me again two cheques on different dates. However, I cannot remember the actual dates of the cheques. In short, I cashed the cheques on different dates and from the cheque I cashed Lamin Jarjou gave me D20,000. Each cheque was more than five hundred thousand dalasis. But I cannot remember the actual amount,” Mr Sissoho told the court. When questioned by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) AM Yusuf regarding the total number of cheques received, Mr. Sissoho struggled to recall but acknowledged being informed by the Fraud Squad that they amounted to five.
“Can you remember the dates of the cheques from the 1st cheque to the last cheque.?” DPP Yusuf asked Mr Sissoho.
“It was between 2019 and 2022. In the year 2023, then the Gambia Police Force Fraud Squad invited me for questioning. That was when they started the investigation and questioned me. In short, they asked whether I was the one who cashed the cheques. I told them yes. The investigation took time, it was not a one-day or two-day Investigation, it took some time. I was shown some papers. The first paper I was shown, they asked whether I had signed a contract with HePDO, and they showed me the document.
“I told them I was not the one who signed that contract. They (Fraud Squad) showed me another document and said it was a CV, and asked whether it was my CV. I told them it was not my CV because that was not my signature. They showed me other payment vouchers and asked whether those payments were made to me, I told them no, it was not me. They asked me whether I wrote a report concerning the work I do. I told them no, I told them that I don’t even know how to write a report,” Mr. Sissoho told the court.
The witness (Mr. Sissoho) was handed exhibit P1 A (CV) to confirm to the court whether it is the CV that was shown to him at the Gambia Police Force Fraud Squad.
Mr. Sissoho confirmed to the court that it was the same CV that was shown to him at the Fraud Squad. He denied writing that CV.
“Look at these documents exhibit P2 A to C, the contract between HePDO and Muhammed Sissoho,” DPP Yusuf.
The contract documents were handed over to Mr. Sissoho for confirmation, and he confirmed them as the ones shown to him by the Gambia Police Force Fraud Squad.
“Have you seen these documents before being called by the Police,” DPP Yusuf asked Mr. Sissoho.
“No, I did not see them before, and I was even surprised when the Police showed me,” Mr. Sissoho told the court.
When asked whether he has signed any contract with HePDO, Mr. Sissoho told the court that he has never signed any contract with HePDO.
DPP Yusuf again handed over the report of studies purportedly conducted by him (Sissoho), and he confirmed to the court these documents were shown to him at the Police Station, and he told the police that it was not his report.
“Did you ever write any report regarding the Malaria programme?” DPP Yusuf asked Mr. Sissoho.
“No, I did not write anything because I know nothing about Malaria programme,” Mr. Sissoho told the court.
“Have you ever had any interaction with HePDO,” DPP Yusuf asked Mr. Sissoho.
“I don’t know HePDO and I have never been to HePDO. It was at the police that I knew or heard about HePDO. When they were talking about the HePDO cheques,” Mr. Sissoho told the court.
“Have you seen the HePDO cheques?” DPP Yusuf asked Mr Sissoho.
“Yes, those are the cheques I was cashing. The Police said the D20, 000s and D15, 000 I was given by Lamin Jarjou all together are D95, 000. They said I should pay it and I paid them at the Gambia Police Force Fraud Squad,” Mr. Sissoho told the court.
Hon. Justice Jaiteh then adjourned the case to the 26th of March 2024 for cross-examination of the witness.
The accused individuals from the Ministry of Health are Mr. Balla Kandeh, the Programme Manager of the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP); Mr. Omar Malleh Ceesay, the Executive Director of the Health Promotion and Development Organization (HePDO); and Mr. Muhammadu Lamin Jaiteh, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health.
They stand accused of embezzling and misappropriating a significant sum of D24,313,332.26 (Twenty-Four Million, Three Hundred and Thirteen Thousand, Three Hundred and Thirty-Two Dalasis, Twenty-Six Bututs) during their time in office. Additionally, they are alleged to have stolen USD 59,256.00, equivalent to D3,901,829.83 (Three Million, Nine Hundred and One Thousand, Eight Hundred and Twenty-Nine Dalasis, and Eighty-Three Bututs).