An alleged scammer, Manjang Cham, was recently arraigned before the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court, where he was charged with 23 counts of obtaining money by false pretence. Cham pleaded not guilty to all the charges when the charge sheet was read to him, rejecting the allegations in their entirety.
Shortly after the story was published in newspapers and on online news platforms, a young woman named Fatou Jum contacted What’s On-Gambia, claiming she was Cham’s former side chick.
According to Fatou, she had known Cham since 2017, during which time he professed love for her and promised to marry her as a second wife.
“I was young and naïve, and I believed him,” she said. “Later, I realised that everything he told me was a lie.”
Fatou further alleged that Cham made promises not only to her but also to her late mother.
“The most painful part is that he promised my late mother that he would open a shop for me. That promise was never fulfilled,” she said.
She added that Cham contacted her again during the last Ramadan, claiming he missed her and wanted to visit. Despite their years of contact, Fatou alleged that she never received any form of financial support from him.
“I never got anything from him from 2017 to date, not even one dalasi. I have now cut him off completely,” she said.
Fatou also claimed that Cham frequently boasted about having strong connections within government circles and told her he once left the country due to problems with former President Yahya Jammeh.
Cham, who is currently remanded at Mile 2 Prison, remains at the centre of an alleged large-scale visa scam. If found guilty, he could face a lengthy prison sentence.