Ex-deputy customs commissioner narrates her ordeals

Veronic Carayol, former Deputy Commissioner, Customs and Exercise Duties, now called Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA), has yesterday testified before the TRRC and explained her arrest, detention and court proceedings.

About her arrest, she said Kebaro news wrote some allegation that indicated that she use to harass and blackmail businessmen, not loyal to Jammmeh, verybody from the department was afraid of her and she shouldn't be there.

Upon recieving that news, she said she went to Mr. Yankuba Darboe's office and told him what they wrote about her and assured him that she will take legal proceedings.

"I suspected that it was him (Darboe) who wrote the allegations about me, as he was the head of the institution."

She said prior to that, a memo was wrote by Darboe and mentioned unpaid declarations, which she knew was not good for the department.

She said when she was detained at the NIA around 3am, someone woke her and give her a tip that what Darboe wrote in his statement in the NIA is the same as the writings in article at Kebaro news.

"I was arrested by a NIA called Darboe, the 1st of September and that was a plan to give my sit to Alhagie Conteh. Upon arrival at NIA, my belongings was taken and I was subsequently taken in a open hall, where I met former state secreatry general Momodou Sabally and others."

Witness clarified that Louis Gomez and Kebba Secka picked her for interrogation the following day about the article; adding he was later taken back and locked in a room.

"I was charged with abuse of office, given false information to a public servant, unlawfu publication and corrupt practices. I was detained at NIA for 28-29 days without taken to court."

She revealed that she was taken to court presided by Fatou Darboe of the Banjul Magistrate Court and found her guilty of all the four counts but the charges where not supported by the evidents.

She continued that she was asked to pay 90, 000 or in defunct to serve one year plus term imprisonment, saying she paid and was released.

"I appealed to the high court and I was acquitted and discharge."

She added that was reinstated back to her work after the coalition took power by the PMO but when she reported to work, her boss asked her to returned home and he will get back to her.