Back and Next - Back and NextIn Willy Joof trial ChargÈ d’affaires in Paris testifies
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Moses Benjamin Jallow, chargÈ d’affaires and consular at the Gambian Embassy in France, on Wednesday, testified in the ongoing criminal trial involving William John Joof, a former permanent secretary at the Department of State for Foreign Affairs, presided over by Magistrate Kayode Olajubutu of Banjul Magistrates Court.
Mr Joof is standing trial on eight counts including official corruption, when he was serving as the head of The Gambia’s diplomatic mission in the French capital, Paris.
In his testimony, Mr Jallow identified himself as the interim charge d’affaires at the embassy, adding that the accused was The Gambia’s Ambassador to France from June 2001 to September 2005 and the head of The Gambia’s Permanent Delegation to Unesco. He said, as the consular, he supervised and managed the general administration and matters of the embassy under the directive of the head of mission (ambassador).
He noted that he worked hand-in-hand with the financial attachÈ in the disbursement of all finances of the embassy.
“I am a co-signatory to all the accounts belonging to the embassy, whilst the ambassador is an alternative signatory in the event that the signatories go out of town,” he said.
He told the court that he used to work in consultation with the ambassador on major expenditures, but used his discretion on minor expenses.
According to him, the Gambian embassy in Paris operates two accounts: the remittance and the remedy accounts, and he is a signatory to both accounts.
He recalled that when the accused left Paris on 26 September, 2005, he received one Mr Gerrard Nuss, who informed him that he had paid Mr Joof monies in order to acquire the position of The Gambia’s honorary consular at the embassy in Paris.
Mr Jallow added that he knew the amount of monies allegedly paid to Mr Joof when he received copies of correspondences sent to him by Mr Nuss.
The Gambia’s consular informed the court that the accused did not give any information about the transaction he had had with Mr Nuss prior to his redeployment to Banjul. He revealed that the accused promised to introduce Mr Micheal Concus to the staff of the embassy, which he never did, saying that he came to know about Mr Concus’ appointment during a staff meeting.
According to Mr Jallow the authorities in The Gambia asked him to assist in the investigation mounted in France in connection with Willy Joof’s case in Banjul.
“I knew about the account of The Gambia’s Permanent Delegation to Unseco after it was closed. Mr Joof relocated the office of The Gambia’s Permanent Delegation to another place, and since then, I ceased to know about the Permanent Delegation of which I am a member,” he said.
He informed the court about the termination of the services of Micheal Concus and Attias Micheal, whom he (Mr Joof) appointed as members of the delegation to Unseco.
He said copies of the termination letters were copied to the Unesco office to stop correspondence with the duo.
Mr Joof is standing trial on eight counts including official corruption, when he was serving as the head of The Gambia’s diplomatic mission in the French capital, Paris.
In his testimony, Mr Jallow identified himself as the interim charge d’affaires at the embassy, adding that the accused was The Gambia’s Ambassador to France from June 2001 to September 2005 and the head of The Gambia’s Permanent Delegation to Unesco. He said, as the consular, he supervised and managed the general administration and matters of the embassy under the directive of the head of mission (ambassador).
He noted that he worked hand-in-hand with the financial attachÈ in the disbursement of all finances of the embassy.
“I am a co-signatory to all the accounts belonging to the embassy, whilst the ambassador is an alternative signatory in the event that the signatories go out of town,” he said.
He told the court that he used to work in consultation with the ambassador on major expenditures, but used his discretion on minor expenses.
According to him, the Gambian embassy in Paris operates two accounts: the remittance and the remedy accounts, and he is a signatory to both accounts.
He recalled that when the accused left Paris on 26 September, 2005, he received one Mr Gerrard Nuss, who informed him that he had paid Mr Joof monies in order to acquire the position of The Gambia’s honorary consular at the embassy in Paris.
Mr Jallow added that he knew the amount of monies allegedly paid to Mr Joof when he received copies of correspondences sent to him by Mr Nuss.
The Gambia’s consular informed the court that the accused did not give any information about the transaction he had had with Mr Nuss prior to his redeployment to Banjul. He revealed that the accused promised to introduce Mr Micheal Concus to the staff of the embassy, which he never did, saying that he came to know about Mr Concus’ appointment during a staff meeting.
According to Mr Jallow the authorities in The Gambia asked him to assist in the investigation mounted in France in connection with Willy Joof’s case in Banjul.
“I knew about the account of The Gambia’s Permanent Delegation to Unseco after it was closed. Mr Joof relocated the office of The Gambia’s Permanent Delegation to another place, and since then, I ceased to know about the Permanent Delegation of which I am a member,” he said.
He informed the court about the termination of the services of Micheal Concus and Attias Micheal, whom he (Mr Joof) appointed as members of the delegation to Unseco.
He said copies of the termination letters were copied to the Unesco office to stop correspondence with the duo.
Author: by Buya Jammeh
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