Amadou Sanneh

Amadou Sanneh is a Gambian accountant and politician who was[1] Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs in President Barrow's cabinet from 1 February 2017 to 15 March 2019. A former national treasurer of the United Democratic Party, Sanneh was sentenced to five years imprisonment in December 2013 for his role in supporting an asylum application. He was released by presidential pardon on 30 January 2017.

Amadou Sanneh
Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs
In office 1 February 2017 – 15 March 2019[1]
President	Adama Barrow
Preceded by	Abdou Kolley
Succeeded by	Mambury Njie
Personal details
Political party	United Democratic Party
Spouse(s)	Haddijatou Sanneh
Profession	Accountant

Career

Sanneh is a trained accountant, who served as Accountant General of the Gambia for some time. He has also operated a private firm called A. A. Co. In June 2008, he testified as a witness in Kanifing Magistrates' Court, in a case involving a clerk accused of stealing money.[2] In 2010, he worked as the auditor general for the National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI). Sanneh accepted full blame for an audit report released in March 2010, the contents of which was criticised by members of the National Assembly. For accepting responsibility, he was commended by the Speaker, but she also said some blame lay on the institution, not just the auditor, commenting "You cannot audit an account which is not given to you."[3]

Political career

Politically, he is a member of the United Democratic Party (UDP) and has served as their national treasurer.[4] In 2006, Adama Barrow was appointed as deputy treasurer to Sanneh.[5]

In late 2013, Sanneh wrote a letter of support for Malang Fatty, who was intending to apply for asylum abroad. In the letter, Sanneh had alleged that Fatty was the recipient of death threats from government security forces and that the UDP was routinely persecuted by the Gambian government. On 19 September 2013, Fatty was arrested by the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) at the Amdallai border post, attempting to leave the country. At the time of his arrest, Fatty was in possession of the letter written by Sanneh. The NIA also arrested Alhagie Sambou Fatty, Malang Fatty's brother, who had asked Sanneh to write the letter. Sanneh himself was arrested on 25 September 2013 by NIA agents.[4]

Sanneh and the Fatty brothers were held in incommunicado detention for nearly one month, and all three alleged that they had been tortured during this time. On 9 October, they went before a judge, with Malang Fatty and Alhagie Sambou Fatty pleading guilty, but Sanneh pleading not guilty. The trial began in the Special Criminal Court on 7 November 2013.[6] On 18 December 2013, all three were convicted of sedition by Justice Emmanuel Nkea and sentenced to up to five years imprisonment.[7] Amnesty International was among the organisations condemning the conviction, and they released a statement saying "The sedition convictions against three opposition party members in Gambia must be quashed and the authorities must release them immediately and unconditionally."[4] In July 2015, an appeal against the ruling was lost after Justices Edrissa M’bai and Na-Ceesay found no miscarriage of justice in the original case.[8]

Sanneh was released by the newly elected President of the Gambia, Adama Barrow, on 30 January 2017.[9] On 1 February 2017, Sanneh was sworn-in as Barrow's Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs.[10]

He was dismissed in a cabinet reshuffle on 15 March 2019, along with Vice President Ousainou Darboe and the Minister of Agriculture Lamin N. Dibba.[1]

Personal life

Sanneh is married to Haddijatou Sanneh, a former employee of Gambia International Airlines. In 2002, she lost her job due to her association to the UDP through her husband, following the court case Haddijatou Sanneh vs Gambia International Airline Civil Suit No. 73/2002.[11]

References

1. Taylor, Mildred Europa (16 March 2019). "Gambian leader Adama Barrow replaces Veep with woman". Face2FaceAfrica. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
2. Faye, Dawda (11 June 2008). "Former Accountant General Testifies in Court". The Point. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
3. Joof, Modou S. (4 March 2010). "NARI Ask To Put Its House In Order". North Bank Evening Standard. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
4. "The Gambia must immediately release three opposition members convicted of sedition". Amnesty International. 18 December 2013. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
5. "In Acceptance Speech As 2016 UDP Presidential Candidate, Adama Barrow Vows To Take Gambia's "Soulless Dictator Out"". The Gambia Echo. 3 September 2016. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
6. "UDP national treasurer Amadou Sanneh trial begins". The Point. 7 November 2013. Archived from the original on 2017-02-03. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
7. "UDP treasurer Amadou Sanneh, two others jailed 5 years". The Point. 19 December 2013. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
8. Saidykhan, Musa (30 July 2015). "Amadou Sanneh Loses Appeal; UDP Youth Militant Arrested In Court". Kairo News. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
9. Marenah, Sainey M. K. (30 January 2017). "UDP's National Treasurer Amadou Sanneh released". SMBC News. Archived from the original on 3 February 2017. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
10. Saidy, Lamin (1 February 2017). "Amadou Sanneh: From prisoner to finance minister!". What's On Gambia. Retrieved 2 February 2017.
11. "The Gambia: Why are fewer are going to the polls?". AfricaFiles. 2 January 2007. Retrieved 2 February 2017.