Karamo Janneh runs the Gambia Maritime Administration. He gave ship registration duties to MDIR Services Ltd. in Cyprus, which then picked his daughter Bintou as its Gambia representative. MDIR comes from Cyprus and has offices in Limassol. The GMA says MDIR knows ships well and manages international ship lists for various countries.
A letter from Director Janneh tells MDIR it can handle all Gambian ship registration work. He gave them power under sections of the Maritime Act. This means that MDIR and its leader, Mr. Theodoros Michael, can register ships, pleasure boats, and floating structures under the Gambian flag. The deal excludes only local trading vessels. The Cyprus business can charge fees for these services, according to Article 6.
The contract lets MDIR create certificates, permits, and important papers for ships. To do this work, they started a new business called Gambia International Ship Registry. MDIR can even represent The Gambia at international meetings about safety and pollution if they want. Bintou Janneh, who faced suspension during a port corruption case, received her job directly from the Cyprus firm.
Her hiring letter, sent to her father, says she brings "extensive knowledge" and will connect GISR with GMA. Many people question how this happened. One GMA board member said they never discussed giving away this contract. "We only saw it when time came to sign, which some refused," the source claimed. No competitive bidding happened. The fact that the director's daughter represents the company raises red flags.
A ship expert warned that this deal limits Gambian control over its maritime registry. The country loses money that could have come from managing its ships. Making this decision without public review hurts trust in Gambian maritime leadership. The Gambia went from zero tankers using its flag last year to 35 oil and gas ships by March 2025. Almost all these vessels face sanctions from America, Britain, or Europe.
The fleet grew to 3.6 million deadweight tons from just 26,665 tons in late 2023. Half of these ships face international sanctions. Maritime records show the registry ended last year with 800,000 tons but gained 2.8 million more since January. Lamin Jawara, who used to lead Gambia Ferries Services, moved to GMA as ship registrar but later changed departments after fighting this outsourcing plan.
When asked about these issues, Director Janneh sent questions to his lawyer, Oli Danso. The lawyer confirmed they hired MDIR but refused to address claims about board members being left out. Danso wanted the source of that information first. He said the board was worried in 2019 that no major vessels used their registry since GMA started. About the director's daughter working for MDIR, Danso claimed GMA has "no control over whom they employ."
A letter from Director Janneh tells MDIR it can handle all Gambian ship registration work. He gave them power under sections of the Maritime Act. This means that MDIR and its leader, Mr. Theodoros Michael, can register ships, pleasure boats, and floating structures under the Gambian flag. The deal excludes only local trading vessels. The Cyprus business can charge fees for these services, according to Article 6.
The contract lets MDIR create certificates, permits, and important papers for ships. To do this work, they started a new business called Gambia International Ship Registry. MDIR can even represent The Gambia at international meetings about safety and pollution if they want. Bintou Janneh, who faced suspension during a port corruption case, received her job directly from the Cyprus firm.
Her hiring letter, sent to her father, says she brings "extensive knowledge" and will connect GISR with GMA. Many people question how this happened. One GMA board member said they never discussed giving away this contract. "We only saw it when time came to sign, which some refused," the source claimed. No competitive bidding happened. The fact that the director's daughter represents the company raises red flags.
A ship expert warned that this deal limits Gambian control over its maritime registry. The country loses money that could have come from managing its ships. Making this decision without public review hurts trust in Gambian maritime leadership. The Gambia went from zero tankers using its flag last year to 35 oil and gas ships by March 2025. Almost all these vessels face sanctions from America, Britain, or Europe.
The fleet grew to 3.6 million deadweight tons from just 26,665 tons in late 2023. Half of these ships face international sanctions. Maritime records show the registry ended last year with 800,000 tons but gained 2.8 million more since January. Lamin Jawara, who used to lead Gambia Ferries Services, moved to GMA as ship registrar but later changed departments after fighting this outsourcing plan.
When asked about these issues, Director Janneh sent questions to his lawyer, Oli Danso. The lawyer confirmed they hired MDIR but refused to address claims about board members being left out. Danso wanted the source of that information first. He said the board was worried in 2019 that no major vessels used their registry since GMA started. About the director's daughter working for MDIR, Danso claimed GMA has "no control over whom they employ."
