Gambiaj.com – (Banjul, The Gambia) – Abdoulie J. Corr, the former acting director of the internal audit unit at the Banjul City Council (BCC), has testified before the Local Government Commission of Inquiry, revealing widespread financial irregularities and questionable practices within the council.

Corr, who served the BCC for 23 years, disclosed on Tuesday that the council had improperly allocated 215,000 dalasi to pre-finance the launch of Rafela, a non-governmental organization aimed at empowering elected women across Africa. However, upon discovering that Rafela lacked a formal memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the BCC—a critical financial requirement—Corr returned the funds, deeming the transaction improper.

“I couldn’t allow such a misstep to continue,” Corr told the commission. “Without the necessary MoU, it wasn’t right for the BCC to be involved, so I returned the money.”

His testimony painted a broader picture of financial mismanagement within the BCC, including delayed financial reporting, unretired funds, and interference from senior management. Corr stated that his audit unit frequently encountered obstacles in obtaining financial documents, which hampered their ability to produce timely audit reports.

Despite these challenges, Corr completed eight audit reports during his tenure. However, many of these findings were allegedly ignored by senior officials, particularly former BCC CEO Mustapha Batchilly. Corr recounted how Batchilly disregarded audit drafts and failed to attend key meetings on financial discrepancies.

One of the most alarming incidents Corr highlighted was an attempt in 2019 by Batchilly to pressure him into removing a 400,000 dalasi impress for the mayor from audit records. Corr resisted, ensuring the transaction remained documented.

“The integrity of the audit process was under constant attack,” Corr said. “I had to fight to maintain transparency, even when management attempted to sweep things under the rug.”

Further raising concerns over potential corruption, Corr testified about a company called Kebba and Sons, which he alleged had close ties to the mayor’s office. According to Corr, nearly all council purchases were routed through this company, prompting suspicions of conflicts of interest and financial misconduct. He also revealed that his signature had been forged on a contract related to Kebba and Sons.

The commission also examined documents submitted by Jalika Manneh, a revenue collector at BCC, including four cash books from 2018-2019. These documents were admitted into evidence, and Manneh is expected to provide additional testimony in the coming days.

The Local Government Commission of Inquiry is currently investigating financial and administrative practices within local government councils across The Gambia from May 2018 to January 2023. Corr’s revelations add to growing concerns about transparency and accountability within the Banjul City Council.