07/11/2025
GPA Boss Faces Economic Crimes Charges Over Missing D20 Million
In a major development that has sent shockwaves through the country’s maritime sector, the State has officially moved to charge the Managing Director of the Gambia Ports Authority (GPA), Mr. Ousman Jobarteh, with multiple counts of economic crimes linked to the alleged misappropriation of over 20 million dalasis.
According to reliable sources, the decision to prosecute was finalised earlier this week after extensive internal audits and reviews of GPA’s financial records. Jobarteh is expected to appear before the High Court in Banjul, alongside several senior members of his management team who are also implicated in the scandal.
In what many view as a questionable move, Mr. Jobarteh reportedly took casual leave shortly after being informed of the charges and has since travelled to Dakar, where he claims to be receiving medical treatment. The timing of his departure has raised serious concerns among observers, with speculation that it could be an attempt to delay or sidestep the judicial process.
If proven, this case would stand as one of the largest financial scandals in a state-owned enterprise in recent years, a major test for the government’s credibility on transparency, accountability, and anti-corruption reform.
Editor’s Opinion:
As Gambians, we cannot continue to look away while public institutions are turned into private pockets. Every dalasi stolen is a hospital unbuilt, a school unfunded, and a young Gambian dream deferred. This case must not be swept under the rug, it must set a precedent that no one, regardless of position or connection, is above the law.