Tina Faal’s decision to dump the APRC party for the newly formed GDC has been one of the mysteries of this year’s elections, but not anymore.

In a recent interview with the US-based Freedom Radio, shortly after her arrest for allegedly obtaining money by false pretense, the former National Assembly member explained that the main reason she threw her weight behind Mamma Kandeh is because of her dissatisfaction with the government’s refusal to rescue her daughter, Georgina Gomez, who was jailed in the UK in 2014 for cheating tax payers out of nearly £5m.

Georgina was working as welfare officer at the Gambian Embassy in London. According to media reports, she and some of her colleagues turned the embassy into a tax free tobacco shop making millions of pounds but failed to pay VAT and exercise duties.

The judge who presided over their case said they breached the trust of both the British and Gambian people.

She was jailed to five years. The Mirror Newspaper disclosed that Tina’s daughter sobbed throughout the hearing.

During her interview with Freedom Radio, Tina seemed to suggest that the government abandoned Georgina and allowed England to throw her in jail despite being a diplomat.

“Look at how they treated my daughter in the UK. She has been sent to jail for alleged cigarette smuggling. Do you think that I will continue to support a party, which doesn’t come to the aid of its supporters, when their families are in trouble with the law? There is a strong bond between a mum and her daughter. I will rather side with my daughter in times of need than to support a party, which doesn’t care about my family.”

Speaking to What’s On-Gambia, a US-based political commentator, who once served as an editor for one of the country’s newspapers, described the former National Assembly member’s reason for turning her back on APRC as “flimsy”.

He said: “She had the flimsiest and worst political ideology: treat my kids good.”

Nathalie Gomez is one of Tina’s famous daughters. When contacted to comment on her mother’s defection, she labeled What’s On-Gambia as group of liars.

“Well done, keep up with the lies!”

Tina was on Monday released from Mile Two, where she was kept after Principal Magistrate Omar Cham at the Banjul Magistrates' Court denied her bail. She is standing trial for obtaining money by false pretense.

The drianke is accused of conspiring with her former husband, Babanding Sissoho to wit sold parts of Boeing 727-234 SN 2216-55V TPA aircraft to one Alagie Omar Keita  with intend to defraud.