FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Gambia:
Parliamentarians and civil society ask legislature to open inquiry into obscure
contract awarded to Belgium company-
Banjul, 19 April 2018- The
decision by the Gambia government to award a single-source contract to produce
national biometric IDs, passports and voter IDs, to Semlex, is being questioned
by two of Gambia’s parliamentarians and Right to Know Coalition. And we maintain, as we did in our letter to
the National Assembly leadership, on 21st March 2018, through the
Clerk, (which we have not received a reply), ‘that Gambians are eager to know
the facts and assumptions on whether due process was followed in awarding our
vital social possessions (passports and IDs) to an opaque company whose
reputation is questionable.’
Mr. Eric Van der
Sijpt, Belgium lead prosecutor, has confirmed to R2K that there is an ongoing
investigation into Semlex activities.
Media reports also state that there is a criminal probe into Semlex and
its operations, and that a case against Semlex CEO, over money laundering, and
other corrupt practices is ongoing. Semlex’s computers, files, and other
materials have since been sealed, and confiscated to aid in the investigations.
We further
maintain that this a company, that Gambia government awarded a contract, which was
immersed in illegality from the onset. The contract flouted all the procurement
rules, and was initiated and birthed by corrupt officials of the Jammeh regime. We are shocked that the current government is
now determined to uphold and execute this contract, despite all the evidence of
the political exposure and high risk associated with Semlex. We are equally
disturbed by the Barrow Administration’s insistence at entrusting our most precious
assets to this company- putting at risk our identification documents, our
reputation and integrity of our national identities, and the tools we hold dear
as citizens to elect and select who governs us and how we wish to be governed-
our voters’ cards.
We are further perturbed
by contradictory public pronouncements uttered by certain ministers and public
officials who were involved in the outsourcing of our individual and collective
assets, using an avenue of secrecy to scuttle public scrutiny.
R2K-Gambia, as a
collective of over 4,500 members, will test the vibrancy of our new found
democracy in the New Gambia, by sending a message to economic predators and
corrupt state officials, that the era of state capture, repurposing of state
resources for pecuniary gain, flouting of public procurement processes, and
disregard for the respect of the rule of law and good governance is over.
And as a result,
we make this public appeal to the National Assembly to put a motion forward for
an inquiry, pass the motion and get to work for the integrity and security of
The Gambia, as the credibility of the National Assembly depends on it.
Elevating a
culture of transparency and accountability depends on it, which is why the NAMS
must start entrenching a practice of probity, before it is defeated and
overwhelmed by impunity, which threatens our national security.
***END***
About
Right 2 Know Gambia (R2K-Gambia):
Right 2 Know- R2K Gambia, started its work
in October 2016, when it commenced work around elections integrity on the then,
now famed Presidential elections, which ousted Jammeh from power. Our
membership/following has since grown to 4,500 people. The founders are a grouping of individuals
with professional backgrounds ranging from geology, demographics, economics,
international relations and law, communications, and academia. All members are human rights activists. We are located in US, UK, West and Southern
Africa. We are a non-partisan entity that focuses on rule of law and democracy,
good governance, human rights and the principles of access to information.
Contact: r2kgambia@gmail.com
Abuja-Amsterdam-Banjul-Dakar-Johannesburg-Washington
DC
