Africa-Press – Gambia. Lead Counsel Patrick Gomez has alleged a conspiracy involving Banjul Mayor Rohey Malick Lowe, EMK Stores CEO Nandu Rajwani, and businessman Chabell Elhajj in connection with a controversial land transaction facilitated by the Banjul City Council (BCC).
The allegation was made during the Local Government Commission’s public hearing on Monday, as Mayor Lowe continued her testimony before the inquiry panel.
“My position is, this is a conspiracy between you, Nandu, Chabell, and possibly the CEO. The council did not do due diligence in leasing out this land, so the only conclusion is that it was a deal between Chabell, Nandu, and the Mayor.”
Counsel Gomez asserted during his exchange with the mayor.
The commission is investigating the circumstances surrounding a BCC land lease involving Elhajj and Rajwani, which has generated conflicting accounts and raised questions about transparency and governance.
In her testimony, Mayor Lowe distanced herself from the financial dealings between Rajwani and Elhajj, insisting that the council only engaged with Chabell Elhajj.
“It is very painful for Nandu to come here and say whatever he wants. What happened between Nandu and Chabell, I knew nothing about. I was not aware,” she said.
Mayor Lowe rejected the conspiracy allegation as mere opinion on the part of Counsel Gomez, arguing that it was unreasonable to prioritize Rajwani’s testimony over hers. However, Gomez defended his assessment, stating that his conclusions were based on available evidence, and invited the mayor to present any new information to the commission: “Do not hesitate to bring in any new evidence,” he added.
Counsel Gomez questioned the mayor’s justification that the land lease was intended to create employment for youth, stating that both she and the council should have thoroughly vetted the parties involved.
He further noted that Rajwani had visited the mayor’s office on multiple occasions regarding the land deal.
“Mayor, he was coming to the person he had an agreement with; that is why he was repeatedly coming to your office, and you cannot stop him because you knew how much he invested,” Gomez claimed.
Mayor Lowe denied any knowledge of the repeated visits or the nature of Rajwani’s investment, maintaining that she was not involved in any dealings between him and Chabell Elhajj.
“Chabell was given a leased land by BCC, and he paid 2 million dalasis. What Chabell has negotiated with Nandu, I know nothing about,” she reiterated.
Counsel Gomez highlighted inconsistencies in the testimonies, alleging that all parties involved—including Chabell and the mayor—were fully aware that no company named Hisense had ever expressed interest in purchasing the land, contrary to what had been previously claimed. He further argued that while Chabell provided Rajwani with evidence of a D2 million payment made to the council, there was no record accounting for the additional funds Rajwani claimed to have paid.
“The issue that is clear here is that Chabell and you knew fully well that there is no Hisense. Nandu knew the price was not D2 million because when he paid the D2 million, Chabell went to Nandu and showed him evidence of the payment of D2 million, because that is the money that has to be in the area council’s account. The other millions are nowhere to be seen. If you have done due diligence, it would have shown on your part that you have the intention to do the right thing.”
Regarding claims that Rajwani was asked to pay an additional D5 million when the land was reallocated from behind the National Assembly to Bond Road, Mayor Lowe denied any knowledge of the matter. She also denied ever receiving phone calls from Rajwani regarding payments made to Chabell.
The commission concluded the session by requesting Mayor Lowe to provide a list of all land allocations approved by the council since the beginning of her tenure.
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