Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – Several revenue collectors from the Banjul City Council (BCC) testified before the Local Government Commission of Inquiry, addressing allegations of financial mismanagement, cash suppression, and irregular handling of municipal funds.

The inquiry, established to investigate the administrative and financial operations of local councils between May 2018 and January 2023, has unearthed multiple accounts of missing funds, disputed payments, and alleged procedural violations.

Allegations Against Revenue Collectors

Jojo Sanyang’s Testimony

Jojo Sanyang, a revenue collector in BCC’s licensing unit, was implicated in the 2020/21 audit report by the National Audit Office (NAO) for allegedly suppressing 4,900 dalasis in cash.

Testifying before the commission, Sanyang stated that she was summoned by the Fraud Squad of the Gambia Police Force regarding the audit findings. She recalled being presented with a receipt, which she identified as one issued by the council’s cashier, Oumie Darboe.

“The police asked me to go home because it was an issue that had to do with the cashier for not posting the money,” she explained.

Sanyang’s written statements, dated October 9, 2023, and December 3, 2024, along with her appointment letter from February 9, 2013, were admitted as evidence.

Ndey Ida Gaye’s Testimony

Another revenue collector, Ndey Ida Gaye, who has worked for BCC since January 2011, was questioned about a 760,000-dalasi audit query. She maintained that she had made the required payments to the cashier but was later informed that the transactions had not been recorded.

“I paid the money to the cashier when I came from the field. The cashier said I did not pay the money to him, and I later paid the money again. Here is the receipt of the payment,” Gaye stated.

She explained that she had not received a receipt initially, which led her to make a second payment and obtain official documentation. The receipt, dated November 5, 2024, was entered into evidence.

Matarr Ndow’s Testimony

Matarr Ndow, a former market collector later reassigned to the rates unit and subsequently redeployed as a process server, testified about financial irregularities in revenue collection.

Ndow described a system where BCC formed a task force annually to collect trade license arrears. However, he noted that the collectors operated independently and were compensated only through overtime pay.

Ndow also admitted to handling money from colleagues for submission to the cashier, though at times, he found the cashier’s office closed and instead handed the funds to the director of finance.

“It is not all the time that I am issued a cheque,” Ndow told the commission, explaining that some funds were handed over in cash without immediate receipts.

When asked about a cash suppression issue flagged by the NAO, he testified that the finance director initially refused to issue receipts for certain amounts, claiming they did not come in bulk. Ndow said he persisted until he eventually received documentation for over 200,000 dalasis.

Haddijatou Jambang’s Testimony

Revenue collector Haddijatou Jambang, who began working at BCC in 2019, was accused of suppressing 135,000 dalasis and 41,000 dalasis on separate occasions.

Jambang denied the allegations, stating that she had handed over the funds to former finance director Camara at his request. She recounted a specific incident on November 11, 2021, when she had collected revenue late in the day and took the money home because the cashier had already left.

That evening, she testified, Camara called and instructed her to bring the money to him directly. She complied, but upon arrival, she was not given a receipt. Instead, Camara wrote her name on a piece of paper and deducted 400 dalasis, which he claimed was for her overtime pay.

“The next day, I asked the cashier for my receipt, but she said she had not received the money,” Jambang said.

She further testified that when the issue later became an audit query, she confronted Camara, who promised to return the funds.

Jambang also addressed the second allegation concerning 135,000 dalasis, which she attributed to a clerical oversight by the cashier. She provided the commission with five cash books documenting her revenue submissions from 2019 to 2022.

Broader Concerns on Financial Accountability

The testimonies presented before the commission underscore longstanding issues with financial accountability at the Banjul City Council. The accounts of missing funds, duplicate payments, and the lack of proper record-keeping have raised serious concerns about the handling of municipal revenue over the years.

The inquiry continues, with further testimonies expected in the coming weeks as the commission delves deeper into financial irregularities within BCC.