Africa-Press – Gambia. Ousman F M’Bai, a financial crime and international asset recovery lawyer, has issued an open letter to Australian oil company FAR Ltd, demanding transparency and accountability over their exit from The Gambia’s offshore oil blocks A2 and A5.
FAR Ltd was the company licensed to explore Gambia’s oil drilling.
The Gambian lawyer’s letter came on the heels of renewed debate as to what happened to the Gambia’s much hyped oil prospects.
At the beginning of this month, former president Yahya Jammeh rekindled Gambians interest in the matter when he accused Senegal of stealing the Gambia’s part of the oil wells in the rich Sangamar fields with the alleged complicity of the government that succeeded his regime.
According to Fatu Network, Mr M’Bai’s letter to FAR Ltd asked the company to clarify the following key allegations:
· FAR received “generous statutory waivers” worth $22 million from one of the world’s poorest countries (The Gambia) and made $500+ million from selling Senegal interests while abandoning Gambian commitments.
· FAR Ltd misrepresented drilling work and denied officials access to verify findings and that there is no independent audit of technical claims about oil viability
M’Bai went ahead to state that “this is not a campaign against any company or country but a principled call for transparency, corporate accountability, and respect for national sovereignty.”
“FAR Ltd has been notified but has not responded,” according to Lawyer M’Bai’
He also announced that similar open letters will follow to Woodside Energy, Petrosen, Petronas, Senegalese government agencies and Ecowas.
For More News And Analysis About Gambia Follow Africa-Press
