Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – In a blistering and emotional interview on Coffee Time With Peter Gomez on Tuesday, former Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) Chief Executive Officer Sainabou Martin Sonko leveled a series of damning allegations against KMC Mayor Talib Ahmed Bensouda, accusing him of deceit, manipulation, and instigating a corruption scandal to shield his political allies.

Martin, who now serves as the CEO of Kerewan Area Council, said she was compelled to speak out in response to claims made by Mayor Bensouda in earlier interviews.

“No amount of manipulation will make people forget what actually led to the so-called corruption allegations against me,” she said, maintaining that her actions as CEO were within the bounds of her official duties.

At the center of the dispute is a loan guarantee for the KMC Staff Welfare Association, which Martin insists was legally executed with the backing of agreements between the council and the bank. “The guarantee was not for the council to become liable for the loan,” she explained. “It was to ensure deductions were made from staff salaries directly.”

Martin alleged that the mayor selectively targeted her while turning a blind eye to a separate, more serious corruption case involving then-Deputy Mayor Pa Musa Bah.

She claimed she had reported the issue to the mayor weeks before her own case came to light, only to be urged by Bensouda – and even by her own husband – to keep it quiet. “Pa Musa was forced to resign. Even the resignation letter was written for him to sign,” she asserted.

Martin accused Mayor Bensouda of a politically motivated campaign against her, suggesting he sought to scapegoat her after media exposure of the deputy mayor’s alleged misconduct. “He told me to keep it under the carpet,” she said, revealing she had obtained audio recordings implicating the deputy mayor.

She also dismissed allegations that her appointment as CEO was influenced by political connections or loyalty to the ruling party, insisting she was unaware that the permanent secretary present at her interview was an acquaintance of her husband. “They even accused me of being the minister’s girlfriend. Someone I’ve never met,” she said in disbelief.

The interview took a deeply personal tone as Martin described what she saw as betrayal from a man she initially believed she could trust.

She claimed Bensouda’s earlier praise of her turned into a campaign of sabotage once tensions rose over her management decisions and alleged refusal to align with internal political interests.

On the controversial municipal transport project involving Espace Motors and Q-Group, Martin accused the mayor of deliberately sidelining local conglomerate Q-Group, stating Bensouda had described its CEO, Mohammed Jah, as “a very greedy man” who wanted “to put his nose in every business.”

She questioned the legitimacy of labeling the deal with Espace a public-private partnership (PPP), calling it financially flawed.

At one point, Martin issued a public challenge to Mayor Bensouda: “Let him deny all these, and let us both swear on the Holy Quran. The one who is lying, let Allah curse them until eternity.”

She also pushed back against the idea that the courts had vindicated the mayor, noting that the case against her was still pending and that the judgment Bensouda referenced had nothing to do with her.

“I am not angry,” Martin insisted. “I’m only interested in clearing the air.”

Asked if she believed the public would take her side despite the mayor’s popularity, Martin replied, “If they want to be fooled, let them be fooled. Gambians are smart.”

In one of the most stinging lines of the interview, she described the mayor as “the most manipulative, narcissistic, self-righteous individual I have ever met in my life.”

The interview ended with Martin renewing her challenge and reaffirming her commitment to face any scrutiny, religious or legal, to prove her innocence and expose what she sees as politically motivated injustice.

Editor’s Note: The allegations made during the interview are as stated by Ms. Sainabou Martin and have not yet been independently verified. Mayor Talib Bensouda has previously denied wrongdoing and maintains that his actions at KMC are consistent with efforts to promote transparency and accountability.