Fourteen people have been charged with fraud over the unauthorised issuance of diplomatic passport to ineligible people. 

They include Mansa Sumareh (former presidential driver), Lang Tombong Sabally (senior immigration officer), Banka Jatta (senior immigration officer), Babucarr MS Jobarteh (former chief protocol at foreign ministry), Amadou Touray, Saikou Sanneh (protocol officers, foreign ministry), Babucarr Bah (a police chief inspector), Dodou Camara, Yankuba Susso, Ebrima J Sanneh (protocol officer, foreign ministry), Ousman Touray (protocol officer, foreign ministry), Micheal Lapido (a Nigerian national), Ismaila Kanteh – Businessman and Ousman Drammeh.

They face up to seven years in prison if found guilty.

The fourteen people are charged with obtaining money by false pretences, forgery, making false documents, altering false documents, theft, receiving stolen goods and making documents without authority.

The Standard newspaper reported that the Ministry of Justice had already filed the charges and were waiting for a judge to be assigned the case.

Last year a whistleblower leaked documents showing how The Gambia’s diplomatic passports were issued to ineligible people including dubious business people and foreign criminals. 

From February 2017 to late 2019.

about 1,175 diplomatic passports were issued by the Gambia’s Immigration Department. 

Reporting by Adama Makasuba