Gambia’s Accountant General, Mr. Momodou Lamin Bah has Monday, August 14, appeared before the Commission of Inquiry on the financial activities of the former President Yahya and close associates at the Djembe Hotel, Kololi.
Momodou Lamin Bah after swearing on the Holy Quran, told the commission that he is Accountant General since 2014.
Bah in his testimony before a three member Commission said he was not aware of the Tax Recovery Accounts opened by the former government at two commercial banks, saying they were not featured in the government accounts.
“I have not been aware of these accounts,” Accountant General Bah said.
“They were not part of the financial statements of the Government of The Gambia,” he added.
Mrs. Amie Bensouda, a senior counsel of the Commission then questioned him about the records of the two accounts in the government accounts.
Mr. Bah told the commission that normally the government accounts are held in the Central Bank. He said he has engaged the Records Unit but did not find any result to these accounts. He disclosed to the commission that the government accounts in commercial banks must be approved by the Minister of Finance with recommendations of the Accountant General.
“By law no government account should be open without the knowledge of the Accountant General,” he asserted.
Accountant General Momodou Lamin Bah said being the chief accounting officer of the government that he was not aware of these accounts opened by the former government at commercial banks in the names of Guaranty Trust Bank, First International Bank and Trust Bank Company Limited.
At this juncture, an exhibit letter which was used to open the said account was shown to him.
Meanwhile, he was asked to return to the commission next week to explain about the letter, procedures and policies to be taken to open commercial bank accounts.
