A court delayed hearings in the case of three prominent members of Gambia's Olympic committee accused of misuse on Wednesday. The prosecution said the investigation of Beatrice Allen, the Olympic body's acting president and an IOC member, treasurer Ousman Wadda and accounts officer Muhammed Janneh was still ongoing. The three deny charges of embezzling $1,300.Allen, 60, said in an affidavit obtained by The Associated Press that the trio were "completely innocent" of the charges and were being targeted because of their intention to report what she called the mismanagement of $100,000 by the Gambia National Olympic Committee.
The money was given to the GNOC by the Common wealth Games Fund (CGF) and was meant to be used to prepare Gambian athletes for the 2010 Common wealth Games in India, according to Allen."The accounts showed that these funds (the $100,000) were mismanaged and a report was due to be sent to the CGF in respect of the mismanagement of this sum," Allen stated in the affidavit that was filed on Jan. 24, three days after her arrest, and sent to the High Court of Gambia."I believe that the conclusion to prosecute us might be linked to these issues. I believe that we are being victimized to prevent the elections and the report being sent."
Gambia's Olympic committee is due to choose a new president on Feb. 12 in the first contested GNOC leadership election. All the previous presidents were elected unrestricted. Allen is standing against former GNOC secretary general Abdoulie Touray and Momodou Dibba, the president of the Gambia Draught Association. The GNOC has been troubled by factions jostling for power since former president Lang Tombong Tamba, who was also Chief of Defense Staff for Gambia's armed forces, was detained and sentenced to death in 2009 for his alleged role in a coup to oust the country's government. In her affidavit, Allen said it had been decided at a conference three days before her arrest to report the missing $100,000.
The money was given to the GNOC by the Common wealth Games Fund (CGF) and was meant to be used to prepare Gambian athletes for the 2010 Common wealth Games in India, according to Allen."The accounts showed that these funds (the $100,000) were mismanaged and a report was due to be sent to the CGF in respect of the mismanagement of this sum," Allen stated in the affidavit that was filed on Jan. 24, three days after her arrest, and sent to the High Court of Gambia."I believe that the conclusion to prosecute us might be linked to these issues. I believe that we are being victimized to prevent the elections and the report being sent."
Gambia's Olympic committee is due to choose a new president on Feb. 12 in the first contested GNOC leadership election. All the previous presidents were elected unrestricted. Allen is standing against former GNOC secretary general Abdoulie Touray and Momodou Dibba, the president of the Gambia Draught Association. The GNOC has been troubled by factions jostling for power since former president Lang Tombong Tamba, who was also Chief of Defense Staff for Gambia's armed forces, was detained and sentenced to death in 2009 for his alleged role in a coup to oust the country's government. In her affidavit, Allen said it had been decided at a conference three days before her arrest to report the missing $100,000.
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