Secco president to be prosecuted for allegedly not paying farmers

Agriculture minister Demba Sabally yesterday stated that government has paid all moneies owed to farmers in Toro Alasan village, Jokadu district, but it was the president  of the local  Secco there who refused to hand over the monies to farmers.

More than twenty farmers from the community alleged the Secco manager of Kerr Alagie-Karu, Jim Gaye owed them D1,021,198.

The farmers have since reported the matter to the police who said they are investigating the matter.

Commenting on the issue at a press conference yesterday, Minister Sabally explained that the government’s groundnut purchasing agency, the National Food Security, Processing and Marketing Corporation formerly GGC, has paid the Secco president a complete amount due to the farmers but he allegedly did not hand over the money to them. “When the farmers reported the matter to us we advised them to go to the nearest police station and they subsequently did that leading to the arrest of the Secco president and the case transferred to police headquarters in Banjul. The police fraud unit are almost wrapping up the case file to take the Secco president to court,” the minister said.

He maintained that government owes no farmer a butut.