Gambia’s youthful sports minister has been caught up in an explosive row over foreign trips allowances after it emerged that he and his wife had been paid thousands of pounds while attending the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England and the Islamic Solidarity Games in Turkey earlier this month.
A letter from his office purports to show that Bakary Badjie who was accompanied by his wife during the trips received £300 daily as per diem benefit during the two weeks he’d been away.
This had triggered a media-fuelled barrage of criticism by Gambians who could not see how his wife’s inclusion as a per diem beneficiary could be justified when she was not officially part of the delegation to the games.
Some of Badjie’s critics had called on him to resign over the scandal.
In a lengthy statement, the embattled minister denied any wrongdoing but pointed out that in view of the widespread public backlash over the payments his wife would refund £2800 being monies paid to her while on the trip.
He said: ‘From the onset, neither I nor the Ministry engaged in any clandestine or fraudulent transaction. This process was transparent and that is why the said letter in circulation was not treated with confidentiality. Rather, all relevant institutions have been copied and notified”.
He argued that the inclusion of his wife to the event was not a personal choice.
”I neither ask from nor did I impose it on any person or authority. It was a privilege extended to me and other invited dignitaries by the Commonwealth Secretariat. This is a common practice in Commonwealth and Olympics games.
Just like her inclusion in the trip by invitation, the payment of allowance to her was not my initiative. I have made consultations with relevant and competent authorities and have been assured that paying allowance to my wife under the circumstances is justified and not at variance with
Badjie has since called on the government to open investigations into his conduct and vowed to bear the consequences if he was found in breach of any law.
WN/as/APA