Immigration Boss Sets Bad Precedent

Amost all the seaport Immigration officers involved in April fraud have been transferred singlehandedly by Director General Buba Sagnia. But one of untouchables is Supretendent Momodou Jammeh.

Also missing on the unexplained transfer list obtained by Kairo News are Commissioner Omar Badjie and Chief Superintendent Sulayman Colley who have been indicted in the investigative report for conniving with others to defraud the state of over half a million dalasis, being monies collected from visa fees at the seaport. Immigration officers defrauded D602,000 from visa fees and shared it among immigration personnel at Banjul seaport and headquarters. Also profiting from the stolen monies are officers of a shipping agency, investigation into the case has proven.

Beneficiaries include Director General Buba Sagnia, Commissioner of Banjul Division Sambujang Badjie, Chief Supreintendent Omar Badjie and Commissioner of Operations Lamin Jatta.

It has been rumoured that the state is on the verge of slapping charges on immigration fraudsters, which is why some people think the transfer should have waited until due process takes place. The transfer, which aims to give chance to fraudsters to escape from negative work environment or tortuous eyes, is untimely. It has set bad precedent for personnel of a department embroiled in bribbery and corruption thanks to DG Buba Sagnia.

“The question is why Buba Sagnia will have the courage to unconstitutionally demote C/ASI Omar T. Camara to the rank of Inspector and transfer him,” one Immigration expert tells Kairo News, challenging Gambian authorities to “monitor the abuse of office of a man unfit to run the immImmigrat Department. Buba Sagnia should likewise have these seaport fraudsters fired. Omar T. Camara is a victim of whistleblowing the incompetences of DG Sagnia and his cronies.”

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