According to the release, the anticipated number of pilgrims for this year is 1350. “Interested Travel Agencies should be IATA registered and licensed by the Gambia Civil Aviation Authority,” the release noted.

To qualify, the release went on, the agencies would need to satisfy the following conditions by sending written applications indicating the intention to operate for Hajj 2008 to the National Hajj Commission Department of State for Local Government, Lands and Religious Affairs.

Agencies are also expected to indicate that they have the capability to generate minimum sales of 100 pilgrims, submission of a three months Bank Guaranty (starting 30thJuly 2008) for the pre-financing of all Hajj costs relating to flight, accommodation and incidental expenses which will commensurate with their approved quota allocation by the Hajj Commission.

“Agencies are also expected to provide an undertaking to Government accepting joint responsibilities and share expenses with other participating Travel Agencies for the transportation and accommodation of Gambian pilgrims according to their quota allocation.

“Provide an undertaking to Government for reimbursement of costs and compensation to aggrieved pilgrim(s) in the event of any hardship experienced by prospective pilgrims, due to the failure of an operator in meeting its financial commitments,” the release added.

The release went further to explain that acceptance of these conditions had to be in writing and had to state the proprietors’ as liable in addition to collaterals to be attached as guarantee for any breach of the above-mentioned undertakings.

All applications, the release added, must reach the office of the Secretary, National Hajj Commission, Department of State for Local Government, Lands and Religious Affairs on or before 16thJuly, 2008.

It would be recalled that the same policy of liberalisation was pursued last year for the Hajj Operations. Three companies, namely GIA, Banjul Travel Agency and Continental Travels, participated in the operations last year.

As the Bank  Adopts Annual Report

Latest data released by Guaranty Trust Bank, one of the leading banks in The Gambia, indicates that the bank’s shareholders fund stands in excess of over D200m, thus bringing the bank in the same bracket with big banks in the country after six years of operations.

According to Olalekan Sanusi, Guaranty Trust Bank’s Managing Director, despite the turbulence faced by the Gambia’s banking industry the previous year, the bank has held and continues to hold its head on its neck and above water, registering successes within a relatively very short period of time.

Speaking at a press briefing shortly after the bank’s Annual General Meeting yesterday, Mr. Sanusi revealed that the bank’s balance grew by 77% over the previous figure of 2006.

“By the end of 2006, we were at D950m but by the end of 2007, we grew to D1.7 billion. We really want to catch up with the big banks in the industry”, he added.

The Annual General Meeting, which gave the bank’s shareholders the opportunity to receive and adopt the annual accounts of the bank for the year ended 31st December 2007 with the Report of the Auditors, also witnessed the re-election of Board of Directors.

As explained by the GTB Managing Director, the bank increased its share capital last year as it has been formally operating with D60m but has now increased to D100m equity.

GTBank, he added, has over D500m in treasury bills of the Government of the Gambia and at the same time close to D400m in terms of loans to private individuals and companies.

“The race is on. We have seven branches today and we are still focusing on more, all geared towards making banking more convenient. Our success over the years has no doubt made us the bank of choice today,” he noted.

In Mr. Sanusi’s view, with the conducive banking environment under the present government, the sky is the limit for both GTB customers and the bank itself.

“We don’t make noise in banking. We are professionals and our job is to satisfy our customers,” he said, enthusing that the future for the bank is rosy.

For his part, Mr. Amadou Samba, Chairman of the Board of Directors of GTBank, said the Auditor’s report maintained that the financial statement gives true and fair view of the state of the company’s affairs.

“This remarks have spoken volumes of the bank’s determination to operate within the set rules and regulations of the Company’s Act 1995,” he noted.

According to the GTB board chairman, the year under review has been monumental in terms of performance and expansion for the bank.

The bank, he went on, has registered over one hundred percent growth and would continue to be a pace-setter in the Gambia’s banking industry. “ We will continue to set standards with smart strategies in adding value for greater returns,” he reassured, adding: “In GTBank, getting closer to the customers, finding out their specific needs and tailor-made prudent solution are our priority,” he said.

The trial of Margarette Sey-Drammeh commenced on Wednesday at the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court, before Magistrate Cecilia Jahateh. The defendant faces 117-count charges.

Adducing evidence in the trial PW1, Marie Senghore, told the court that she worked as a consultant and a contractor. “I recognise the accused. She worked as a Secretary and Accounts Officer for me from March 2001 to October 2005, at Mar Consult and Bajan Enterprise. She was responsible for purchasing of construction materials as well as handling the accounts,” she added. “On October 2005, I got a call from premium TV that the cheque that was sent to them was returned.”

PW1 further told the court that she decided to call the bank to find out why they returned the cheque, but they responded by sending her the balance of the account. She informed the court that Mar Consult had local Dalasi, Euro and dollar accounts, while Bajan Enterprise had only a local Dalasi account. She revealed that she requested the bank statement from Trust bank and she noticed that the two Dalasi accounts were overdrawn by D200, 000 each. She added that she also requested the bank statement from Guaranty Trust bank’s Churchills Town branch, which she also noticed was overdrawn by D75, 000.

Both the Dalasi accounts at Trust Bank and Guaranty Trust Bank were in the red, she revealed.

PW1 further adduced that she then called the accused to her office for an explanation, and the accused told her that she used some of the money to renovate her house, buy a bed, a TV set and had a debt to settle. “The accused told me that she forged my signature,” she stated, adding that the accused was responsible for the management of the two-establishment accounts, drawing of vouchers and cheques for her signature.

“I was the sole signatory to both accounts at Trust Bank and Guaranty Trust Bank.” The accused, she stated, was also responsible for holding all the chequebooks, collecting bank statements from the Bank, as well as Bank reconciliation.

She testified that she requested the Euro and Dollar accounts of Mar Consult and noticed that the actual balance was less than what should have been in the accounts, adding that she also noticed that Euros and Dollars had been transferred to the Dalasi account and that she also noticed that from the bank statement that the Dollar cash  given to the accused had not all been paid to the account.

The case was at that point adjourned to 17th April 2008.

Defence to Appeal against Dismissal of Application

Baba Jobe and co-defendants are said to be considering filing an appeal against the High Court’s dismissal of their application contesting the plaintiff’s suit. This was revealed by the defense counsels, who also applied for a stay of execution shortly after the ruling.

The High Court, presided over by Justice Haddy Roche on Friday, 15th June, dismissed the defence’s application filed before the court, contesting the plaintiff’s claim on the grounds that the wrong people had been dragged to court.

In her ruling, Justice Roche stated that the application filed by the defence is for the dismissal of the plaintiff’s claim, adding that the application is not contesting the jurisdiction of the court.

She further stated that the court was in disagreement with the defence as there is a breach of contractual agreement between the defendants and the plaintiff.

Justice Roche stated that the plaintiff’s claim shows a cause for action against the defendants, which however needed to be proven. She said it is the defendants who are on a fishing exhibition and not the plaintiff, noting that the defendants had waited for two years to contest the plaintiff’s claim against them.

Justice Roche finally ruled that the defendants’ application was therefore dismissed and the plaintiff should be allowed to prove its case.

It could be recalled that Guaranty Trust Bank had filed a claim of D7m (seven million dalasis) against four defendants, Philip Thompsett, Lynn Wilson, Lloyd Bourogh and Baba Jobe.

Lawyer Janet Sallah-Njie represented Phillip Thompsett, Lynn Wilson and Lloyd Bourogh while Lawyer Lamin Camara represented Baba K. Jobe.

The plaintiff, Guaranty Trust Bank, is represented by Lawyers Ida Drammeh and Mene.