Former Interior Minister, Mai Ahmad Fatty, has defended the handing of Gambia government ID card and passport project to Semlex over a Gambian company “because Pristine is not all that clean”. Pressed over the decision to award the contract to Semlex over a Gambian company in an interview with Kerr Fatou, he retorted: “The late Draman Touray is someone I have a lot of respect for and out of respect for his family I won’t say certain things.I was aware of their issue with the government with regard to the production of ID cards. And I met Draman Touray in Dakar before I even became minister after the change of government . I met with him with the president of the Gambia Chamber of Commerce and industry and I was lobbied. I was at the time on their side, but when you are in office it’s a completely different thing because you have a better understanding of things and have to act in the national interest”. Mai Fatty added that the decision was not made by him alone, but involved ministry of Justice and the cabinet. He added that contrary to public perception “Pristine was not all that clean because part of the contract was a chip enabled ID card and technology transfer. The chip in the ID card was more like high-grade plastic”. Further rounding on Pristine, Mai Fatty said there was no transfer of Technology from Pristine as agreed with the former government and Pristine took the equipment and data of Gambian ID card and passport holders.

Mai Fatty with Kerr Fatou’s Fatou Touray - Photo credit: Kerr Fatou