Coalition 2016 Leaked Financial Statement Reveals Over D9 Million Spent on Barrow’s Presidency
As rights group, “Three Years Jotna”, mounts pressure on President Adama Barrow to relinquish power by January 19th, it is being revealed that Gambians both abroad and at home financed the Coalition 2016.
In a leaked document, privy to The Chronicle, the Coalition 2016 is said to have spent nine million three hundred and eighty-six thousand eight hundred and two dalasi (D9, 386, 802. 00). Disclosing that from November 18th, 2016 to July 31st, 2017, nine million and thirteen thousand seven hundred and twenty-five dalasi (D9, 013, 725.00) was paid into the bank account of the Coalition whose signatories are President Adama Barrow and Francis Gomez, Minister for Fisheries.
The leaked document reveals that two million nine hundred and seventy thousand, three hundred and fifteen dalasi (D2, 970, 315, 00) was spent on the Coalition 2016 Campaign, with most of the contributions made by The Gambia Diaspora Funds. It continues to highlight that a tune of seven million nine hundred and ninety-five thousand, eight hundred and one dalasi (D7, 995, 801, 00) was also garnered by the finance and fundraising committee.
The document also revealed the contributions made by various political parties excluding the National Reconciliation Party (NRP) of Hamat Bah and the Gambia Party for Democracy and Progress (GPDP) of Henry Gomez.
It went on to detail that the sum of one hundred thousand dalasi (D100, 000, 00) was contributed by the United Democratic Party, fifty thousand dalasi respectively by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and People’s Democratic Organization for Independent and Socialism (PDOIS), while the Gambia Moral Congress (GMC) contributed thirty thousand dalasi (D30, 000,00) plus twenty five (25) bags of rice as well as six hundred and thirty thousand dalasi (D630, 000, 00) by The Gambia Diaspora fund towards the nomination of President Adama Barrow as a flag bearer.
The Chronicle contacted Musa Sonko, Chairperson of Coalition 2016, Finance and Fundraising Committee to verify the accuracy of the leaked document.
Sonko confirmed that all the revelations stipulated in the leaked document remains true, confirming that all political parties with the exception of the National Reconciliation Party (NRP) and the Gambia Party for Democracy and Progress (GPDP) contributed to the ascent of power by President Adama Barrow.
Sonko used this opportunity to renew calls on President Adama Barrow to step-down as coalition flag bearer hence he has decided to form his own party.
“Since our flag bearer had openly declared in his New Year message that he has decided, without consulting the Coalition Executive Committee (CEC), to form his own party and have set aside the Coalition MoU, the most honorable thing he should have done was to resign as our flag bearer and allow the Coalition and other concerned Gambians to manage the remaining two years of the five years mandate giving preference and priority to the much anticipated reforms while he goes to build his own new party,” Sonko emphatically stated.
