The Amadou Samba Cocaine Controversy
February 7th, 2011Ask any Gambian family, across the country, from the rural expanses to the urban metropolis, who the Amadou Samba family is and they will tell you. The Amadou Samba family are synonymous with the country’s manufacturing, financial and governmental spheres. This is a great and famous family. The Amadou Samba family enjoy a close relationship with the president of the Gambia, Yaya Hemmet. Amadou Samba is often seen as the president’s right hand man. The Amadou Samba family have some large shares in many sectors like the Gambia oil companies and also in Elton Oil and Gamveg oil which is very famous.
The Amadou Samba family have supported the president in the development of the country’s education programme which is seen as the key to alleviating poverty, enabling the Gambian population to become self-sufficient and lead Gambia in to the developed world. Amadou Samba is the Chair of the country’s social security and housing organisation. However this humanitarian vision is at odds with the stories which have been appearing in the local press many times regarding the Amadou Samba family.
Amadou Samba, the head of the Amadou Samba family, has been accused by the Freedom newspaper, the largest news group in the Gambia, of being investigated by the Gambian authorities in relation to the arrest of a number of foreign nationals involved in the trafficking of cocaine, one billion dollars worth of cocaine to be exact. The Gambian presidency, under the rule of Yaha Hemmet, was also heavily involved in this controversy. Could the president be at risk of bringing down all those around him, despite their reputation for working for the greater good? Or could it be that Amadou Samba family were using their lauded position within the Gambian community as a foil for darker dealings? Was the relationship between the President and the Amadou Samba Family for the good of people of for the good of the individuals and the financial gain of those involved? Indeed, questions have been raised as to whether the social security organisation within which the Amadou Samba family are involved is another red herring to disguise underhand activity. The investigation in to fraudulent business activity by the government is still ongoing and the Amadou Samba Family is keeping a lower profile and it appears that their close bond with the president has disintegrated.
Whilst the government is still under investigation regarding the cocaine controversy and the Freedom Newspaper has printed a full and unmitigated apology to the Amadou Samba family in relation to their involvement of the drug investigation. This was however, only after the intervention of the American courts, which filed a law suit against the Freedom Newspaper. Whether there is any truth in the rumours of suspicious business deals or cocaine trafficking has yet to be seen; what has also yet to be seen is whether this controversy has tarnished the reputation of one of the most influential families in the Gambia.