A Gambian mother, who recently told this medium that she was a victim of fraud and extortion says she has recovered D80,000 dalasis out of the D120,000 dalasis that was taken from her by Universal Properties Limited. Fatou Njie, a former banker, said the funds in question was in respect of a plot of land that she bought from Universal Properties. The land is located in Brufut, Kombo North. It took her six years to payoff the land.
“Hello Pa. I am glad to inform you that I have received a partial payment of D80,000 dalasis today, already deposited into my account. The rapid reaction is unbelievable. Thanks to Freedom… Amulo Morom Pa. Jen du yaw,” Fatou Njie remarked.
Ms. Njie added that Universal Properties still owes her D40, 000 dalasis. She said she would keep us posted once the remaining D40,000 dalasis is settled by the Universal Properties.
The Universal Properties management are yet to respond to our journalistic queries. The CEO of the company Alhagie Sanyang hasn’t returned our phone calls.
STORY BACKGROUND
A Gambian mother, who bought a land from the Universal Properties Limited, says she is a victim of fraud and extortion. Fatou Njie, a former banker, said she bought a land from Universal Properties in 2009, for one hundred and twenty thousand dalasis (D120,000). The plot in question is located in Brufut, Kombo North. It took her six years to payoff the land.
Even though she has paid off the land, Universal Properties hasn’t fulfilled its side of the sale agreement the company had with her. Universal was supposed to issue her a title deed three months after she finished paying off the Brufut land, but that hasn’t happened yet.
She said the Company’s CEO Alhagie Sanyang has been playing cat and mouse game with her. She said Sanyang has stopped answering and returning her phone calls.
A frustrated Fatou Njie had resorted to asking Universal to refund her D120,000 dalasis. She was asked by the company’s CEO Sanyang to furnish him with her bank account details, which she did. Sanyang never transferred the D120,000 dalasis as promised, she said.
“He is trying to play game with me. I completed my payments in 2014. That was six years ago. I was supposed to be issued a title deed three months after I finish paying my payments. From three months, and it is six years now, I am yet to receive my title deed,” said the former Mega Bank banker.
Fatou Njie now lives in Austria. She told Freedom radio Gambia in an interview that she had made endless efforts to recover her D120,000 dalasis from Universal Properties, but to no avail. She added that the company’s customer service was horrible, and despicable.
“They don’t answer phone calls. Alhagie Sanyang hardly picks his phone. They took my money and yet they haven’t provided me a land. As we speak, I am chasing them to refund me my money,” she said.
Ms. Njie said she bought the Brufut land from one of the of the Universal Properties agents Mamkumba Sarr.
“It is very hard to get hold of Mamkumba Sarr on the phone. She has also been ignoring my calls,” she said.
In a WhatsApp message, sent to Fatou Njie, Mamkumba said: “I was in the toilet when you called. I just saw so many missed calls and messages from you. I listened to your message. I am not hiding. I have nothing to fear or hide. I am a broken person right now. I used to enjoy cordial relationship with my customers, but not anymore. I am not the type who can put up with stress. If Alhagie can do it, not me. I am doing my job as required. If the person, who hired me, Alhagie, is not doing his job, there is nothing that I can do. I am ashamed. I cannot face my customers. I have nothing to tell you. I do not even know what I should do. I don’t see Alhagie. You can only talk to someone you see. Accounts can’t do anything for you. All transactions are approved by Alhagie. If Alhagie is not here, there is nothing that we can do. The people who are here, they are new and without Alhagie’s approval, they cannot do anything. Alhagie has the final say here. He is owner of the company. I am just here to work and get my salary,” she said in the Wollof dialect.
Alhagie Sanyang was contacted for comment late Thursday evening, but his line was off.