By Mama A. Touray

Sulayman Barry, the Principal Internal Auditor at the Brikama Area Council (BAC), who was the fifth witness to testify at the institutional hearing focused on the Brikama Area Council, has revealed to the ongoing local government commission of inquiry that the council has a chronic practice of making payments without preparing vouchers.

The witness made this revelation on Thursday while testifying on the first quarter Audit Report prepared by the Internal Audit Unit BAC.

The report revealed that there were payment vouchers that were left incomplete, and according to a witness, this is a recurring issue in the Brikama Area Council, where payments are made without preparing or issuing the vouchers.

Barry explained to the Commission that some payments were made, but the payment vouchers were numbered randomly. He further clarified that payment vouchers should have sequential numbers, but the BAC finance unit used to assign random numbers to the vouchers.

Barry further disclosed that in most cases, the Council would make payments first and then prepare the vouchers after the transaction had already taken place.

“The proper procedure is that the Council should prepare the payment vouchers and sign them before making the payments. The vouchers should pass through the Internal Audit Unit for pre-auditing to ensure that due process is followed. For the Brikama Area Council, they used to make payments this month and then raise the vouchers next month to cover the expenses,” the witness said.

According to him, the Brikama Area Council does not comply with the legal due process, which results in payments being made for fraudulent transactions.

“Every payment should be supported by evidence and must follow the laid down procedures, if the procedure is flouted then the payment might not be genuine and susceptible to fraud,” he added.

Meanwhile, page 8 of the audit report revealed a list of revenue collectors who collected revenue and failed to deposit the amounts in the BAC account.

Reacting to this finding, Auditor Barry told the commission that there were so many incidents of revenue suppression and that he had informed the management of the council of the audit findings and recommended steps to be taken to address the audit queries.

When asked about the management, he said it comprised former Chairman Sheriffo Sonko, former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Modou Jonga, and former Director of Finance Alagie Jagne.

Barry said the affected revenue collectors were informed about the audit findings concerning their conduct of suppressing the council’s revenue.

One of the collectors flagged by the audit report was Buba Jabang, who was said to have collected the monthly rental fees from the canteens in the market. It was revealed that in 2022, Buba collected over D400,000 and deposited only D244,000.

Another collector Bakary Drammeh withheld the sum of D37,000, while Sulayman Tamba did not deposit over D7000.

When asked whether the revenues were repaid, the witness said he could not tell because there was no evidence of the repayments made.

By: Dawda Baldeh

The Drug Law Enforcement Agency of The Gambia (DLEAG) between January and December 2023 seized nine firearms including seven pistols, one hunting gun, and a rubber bullet pistol, leading to the apprehension of individuals who were found to own firearms without a license, proper authorization, or documentation.

The cases of these people were handed over to The Gambia Police Force (GPF) for further processing and necessary actions.

The cumulative total of rounds seized equates to one hundred and fifty-three (153) live rounds, three (3) shell casings, and four (4) rubber bullets.

Detailed below is a list of cases registered by the Agency for the said reporting period.

• DLEAG operatives stationed at the Giborro border post apprehended a Senegalese National in the person of Mame Ousman Niang of Thies with an MOD 85 automatic pistol and seventeen (17) live rounds.

He was travelling from Kombo Gunjur where he owns a compound to Abene village in Cassamance and he was with his wife and three (3) children. The incident happened on the 1st of January 2023.

• DLEAG and JAITF operatives stationed at the Airport arrested one Benjamin Da Silva, a Bissau Guinean / Portuguese national who was travelling with Royal Air Maroc with a hunting gun bearing serial number cal. 5.50 (0.22) 90-G22HT-005865 made in Turkiya.

The suspect who owns a compound in Giborro in The Gambia claimed that he uses the gun for hunting. The incident happened on the 4th of March 2023.

• The special operations squad arrested one Baba J. Susso with one (1) block of cocaine, a rubber gun four (4) rubber bullets, a taser gun, and a knife.

The suspect fired rubber bullets at the team leader who sustained minor injury.

The said incident happened on the 24th of August 2023 around the Coastal Road Highway.

• One Yankuba Gassama of Banjul was arrested with five (5) rounds of 8mml calibre EKOL- TUNA PISTOL, five (5) live rounds, and some quantities of cannabis sativa. The serial number of the said pistol is ET-1040033.

The incident occurred on the 16th of September 2023.

• DLEAG operatives stationed at Giboro arrested a pistol from one Mustapha Badjie, an ex-Gendamerie Officer who now works in a night club in Dakar.

The suspect is from a village called Balingo in Cassamance.

• DLEAG and (Joint Airport Interdiction Task Force (JAITF) operatives stationed at the Banjul International Airport apprehended one Buba Bojang, a Gambian/American National with a new pistol and one hundred (100) live rounds.

The suspect is a native of Brufut travelling with SN Brussels airline.

• DLEAG and JAITF operatives stationed at BIA arrested one Antoine Francois Cornette De Saint Cyr a French National on the 28th of January 2023 with eight (8) live rounds and three (3) shell casings that he claims he uses for hunting.

During interrogation, he claimed that his friends placed the rounds in his bag without his notice.

He was scheduled to travel to France with SN Brussels.

• DLEAG operatives stationed at the Airport intercepted an American citizen with an empty pistol that was registered in the USA but not The Gambia.

The suspect during interrogation confessed to owning the pistol and the bag in which it was found but not the box said to be containing firearms and ammunition by Tap Portugal.

• A Joint investigation team discovered a pistol and twenty-three (23) live rounds at the compound of one Ndeneh Musa Faal at Bijilo on the 4th of September 2023.

The matter was handed over to GPF for prosecution and he was convicted and fined D 50,000.00 while the pistol and rounds were handed over to the Police Intervention Unit.

• DLEAG operatives stationed at the Amdalai border post arrested a Senegalese National with twenty pills of ecstasy, a pistol, and four live rounds.

The said incident happened on the 9th of October 2023.

In addition to these seizures of firearms, DLEAG also arrested 623 suspects for drug trafficking in 2023.

By: Mama A. Touray

Sulayman Barry, the Principal Internal Auditor of Brikama Area Council, informed the LG Commission that the council does not maintain an up-to-date fixed asset register where all capital assets should be listed with their values.

Barry mentioned that the council’s assets cannot be accurately ascertained, and when asked if he had ever seen the asset register, he replied no.

When questioned about whether the council now has an asset register, he stated that it is not within his knowledge. He also informed the commission that some staff files have not been updated, noting that each file should include an application letter, national identity card, certificate of character from the police, and other credentials.

Barry referred to the audit report concerning affected staff names, indicating that the BAC’s establishment register was not updated. Despite management’s assurance to rectify the issue, no action was taken.

However, Barry testified that an amount of D32,922.82 was disbursed and paid as salaries over the counter to council staff, but the recipients did not sign the vouchers. He added that they could not confirm whether those individuals received the money.

The witness noted inconsistencies in the payrolls, with some individuals underpaid and others overpaid. He explained that payments were supposed to align with salary grading but revealed instances where junior laborers were paid more than their superiors.

In 2020, there was an issue of unaccounted proceeds from the council’s sales totaling D24,000. Although the council generated D60,000 from bid sales, only D36,000 was remitted to the Gambia Public Procurement Authority (GPPA), leaving D24,000 unaccounted for.

Regarding a loan he obtained from the council, Barry stated that he applied for D450,000 but was given D350,000. He also acknowledged contracting loans from the Area Council in amounts of D150,000 and D175,000.

When asked about the functions of the Internal Audit Unit, Barry explained that it is responsible for vetting and monitoring the financial transactions (inflows and outflows) of council revenues to ensure compliance with rules and regulations. Additionally, they are tasked with providing quarterly reports to the accounts and audit committee of the Council.

By: Mama A. Touray

The claims made by some Brikama Area Council revenue collectors, who expressed surprise at the amounts mentioned by auditors as shortages, were dismissed on Tuesday by Sulayman Barry, the principal internal auditor at the Brikama Area Council.

Barry made this dismissal on his first day appearing before the ongoing local government commission of inquiry, stating that the collectors were all informed about the audit findings. At this point, Barry was given the cash book of one of the collectors, Bakary Drammeh, to examine, and he told the commission that Bakary’s claim of being cleared by the Internal Audit Unit was false.

Bakary Drammeh had earlier testified before the Commission that he was cleared by the audit unit regarding some accounted revenue of the Council, but the Principal Internal Auditor dismissed this claim and labeled it as “false.”

Barry continued, mentioning that they monitor the collectors from devices in the IT Unit and can track how much each collector collects.

However, Sulayman cited an incident of interference in his work by the former Chairman of BAC, Sheriffo Sonko, in 2020, asking him to stop the special audit exercise he was conducting.

He said he proceeded with the special exercise, auditing revenue collectors, including Alieu Sanneh, who was found to have shortages. Barry added that Alieu Sanneh came to him with the information that the then Chairman was his uncle.

Barry said Alieu Sanneh then informed him that he had used the money for the treatment of his leg. The witness said he continued with his probing into the Council’s funds, and when former Chairman Sheriffo Sonko came to him asking him to stop because Alieu Sanneh was “dangerous” (meaning he could use harmful means to silence him [the witness]), Barry continued with his inquiry and drafted a report for Alieu Sanneh to respond to the audit queries.

“This was when Alieu Sanneh wrote to the Council with the complaint that he was being targeted.”

“As a result, it triggered the Council to task the Establishment Committee to inquire into the matter, and in the end, the Committee came up with a report stating that they could not confirm Alieu Sanneh’s claims. The Directorate of Internal Audit (DOI) under the Ministry of Finance conducted their findings and audits,” he informed the commission.

He further informed the commission that “Alieu Sanneh has not worked in the Council since 2020 but is still receiving his salary every month until now. He is not working, but he is still receiving his salary.

By: Dawda Baldeh

Mamma Kandeh, the leader of the opposition Gambia Democratic Congress (GDC), has called on President Adama Barrow to use his constitutional powers to set harsh examples against drug dealers in the country.

Kandeh emphasized the detrimental effects of drug abuse on the nation, particularly its role in increasing criminal activities.

“President Barrow, the country has reached a critical stage due to drug trafficking, and you should use your constitutional powers to set strong examples against drug dealers,” he said.

He urged President Barrow not to show mercy towards drug dealers and emphasized the need to protect Gambian youths from the destructive impact of drugs.

He warned that failure to set examples on drugs will further undermine the country’s efforts in combating drugs.

“If you don’t exercise your powers to stop these drugs now, history will judge you.

We cannot afford to fail in protecting our country.

Drugs like Kush are destroying our youths,” he emphasized.

Kandeh also highlighted rumors of drugs being mixed with human remains, citing the recent exhumation of a corpse in Sukuta as evidence.

The Drug Law Enforcement Agency of The Gambia (DLEAG) reported a significant number of drug trafficking cases in the country, with 623 suspects arrested in 2023.

By: Dawda Baldeh

In a press release obtained by this publication, the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs has refuted online claims regarding a purported funding agreement with the African Development Bank (AfDB) and UNESCO. The ministry urged the public to disregard the report.

The ministry’s response comes shortly after widespread reports circulated on social media, claiming that the ministry had signed a funding agreement with AfDB and UNESCO totaling $11 billion.

Below is the statement from the Ministry:

“The Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs wishes to inform the general public that it has once again observed with serious concern the spread of fake news on the internet regarding a funding opportunity of US$11 billion in agreement with the AfDB and UNESCO to support SMEs.

This information is false and malicious, and the Ministry has no association with this claim.

Unfortunately, such false news is increasingly prevalent and circulated on the internet. The MoFEA emphasizes that it has not entered into any agreement with the African Development Bank for this amount, nor has it agreed to fund SMEs in collaboration with UNESCO.

In light of the rising trend of fake news concerning funding opportunities, the Ministry urges the public to remain vigilant and report any such instances to the MOFEA or the Police.

Moreover, the public is advised to verify any future publications related to funding opportunities from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs.

The Ministry also warns perpetrators to refrain from spreading misinformation of this nature.

The MoFEA reiterates that all official statements regarding significant milestones are communicated through press briefings and the Ministry’s official website.”

By: Mama A. Touray

Bakary Drammeh, a revenue collector from Brikama Area Council and the fourth witness from BAC to testify before the Ongoing Local Government Commission of Inquiry, admitted to making underpayments of the revenues he collected.

Jammeh made this admission today while giving his testimony before the commission.

The witness admitted before the Commission that he made certain underpayments of the revenues he collected, stating that most of the shortages went to fares they used to pay.

At this point, Counsel Gomez told the witness, “That does not explain why you embezzle council funds,” and he responded, “I know that it is not right.”

The Commission noted that the witness did not deposit One Hundred and Eight Thousand Eight Hundred Dalasi, but the witness said he went back to the audit unit of the BAC and did reconciliation with one auditor, Amadou Jobarteh.

He added that this was when they found out that the money was Six Thousand Dalasi (D6,000) instead of the D108,800.

“This is how you people do to clear your wrongs in the eleventh hour,” Counsel Gomez told the witness.

Bakary testified that in 2022, he was informed by one of the auditors that he entered some figures in his cash book, but he did not deposit the money. He added that he deposited the money in 2023.

Gomez asked him why he would keep council funds with him for a year without depositing; he responded that “It was my fault. It was family pressure, to be frank”.

“Counsel, we at the Area Councils only have the benefit of a salary,” the witness said, and Gomez told him if that should warrant him to steal, and he replied in the negative.

Jammeh informed the commission that he had paid his D6,000 shortage into the Council’s account.

Gomez, however, pointed out that the internal audit cleared the witness for February 2022. He told the witness that the collection being queried was from the 1st of April 2022 to July 2022 amounting to D315,000, and he testified that he was also cleared for the D315,000.

Counsel Gomez asked the witness to read from his own cash book all the collections he made from April to July 2022. In April 2022, he collected D18,400, D16,800, D5000, and D3200. In May 2022, he collected D7,200, D6,000, D20,000, and D6,000. In June 2022, he collected D8,400, D14,800, D10,600, D11,000, D17,200, and D26,000. In July 2022, he collected D26,000, D28,200, and D14,800.

“You still haven’t reached D300,000. How were you cleared?” Counsel Patrick Gomez asked, “I never heard this from the auditors,” the witness answered.

When asked if he was cleared by the auditor, Jammeh responded affirmatively, and Gomez pressed him to show the evidence. That was when he changed his statement, stating that he was not cleared by the auditors.

He will reappear on the 19th of March 2024 to continue with his testimony.

By: Alieu Jallow

Arona Tine, a Senegalese national alleged to have murdered Fatoumatta Kargbo, a former staff member of HM Bureau at West Field, appeared before Justice Ebrima Jaiteh of the Banjul High Court on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, to formally receive a charge of murder under section 187 of the Criminal Procedure Code, Cap 10, Vol. 3 of the Revised Laws of The Gambia.

The particulars of the offence state that Arona Tine, on or about January 19, 2024, at West Field in the Kanifing Municipality of The Gambia and within the jurisdiction of the High Court, with premeditation, stabbed Fatoumatta Kargbo with a knife, resulting in her death, thereby committing an offence.

Counsel F. Drammeh, representing the state, filed the indictment. Presiding Judge Justice Ebrima Jaiteh informed the accused that the case could not proceed until he obtained legal representation, given the serious charges against him. Justice Jaiteh further informed him that if he could not afford a lawyer by the next adjourned date, the court would make necessary arrangements for the state to provide him with one. This decision followed the accused’s statement that he was in discussions with a legal representative but had not yet reached a definitive agreement.

The state has presented 11 witnesses and several exhibits, including the knife used in the incident, a cash amount of D50000, and the postmortem report from the doctor, among others.

The case is adjourned until March 26 for plea-taking.

By: Mama A. Touray

Another revenue collector from the Brikama Area Council, Ebrima K Jobarteh, has admitted before the ongoing Local Government Commission of Inquiry that he spent D210,619 of council funds on his medical bills and family issues instead of depositing it into the council’s account.

Jobarteh made this admission when the commission noted that in 2022, Ebrima K Saidy recorded a shortage of D210,619.85, which he admitted, stating that he began paying back the sum.

When asked what the said money was spent on, Jobarteh said it was spent on his medical bills and family. Deputy Lead Counsel Gomez asked the witness how that was possible, considering that the Brikama Area Council had a digitized revenue collection system, and whatever he collected should have been recorded in the system, allowing them to know how much he deposited.

He responded, “I deposit, but I don’t deposit all.”

The witness said he was surprised by the figures the auditors claimed, but upon reconciliation, he realized that the internal auditors were correct.

Ebrima K Jobarteh was also asked about D46,000 and D26,400 collections he made without depositing, to which he admitted not depositing and stated that the D46,000 was a mistake by the auditors; instead, the amount should have been D29,000.

In support of his claim that the amount was supposed to be D29,000 instead of D46,000, he provided a bank deposit receipt.

When further questioned about why he deposited less than what he collected, Jobarteh responded, “I don’t mean to do it, definitely, but because of my situation.”

Chairperson Jainaba Bah asked the witness who was involved in this act, to which he said he did not inform his superiors and that he acted on his own.

Counsel Patrick Gomez told the witness that the excuse he gave for spending the council’s money without banking it was not true. The witness insisted that he spent the money on his medical bills and family issues.

“Almost every page in your cash book has a shortage,” Counsel Gomez told the witness, to which he responded, “The responsibility is too high; I regret this. Definitely, I regret this.”

Ebrima K Jobarteh informed the commission that he made a D25,000 repayment to the Council this month. When asked about the source of the funds, he said his sister (Tako Bayo) in the United States of America sent it through another sister (Fatou Jobarteh).

In 2020, the Commission noted that the witness collected D4,000 without depositing it. Reacting to this, he said, “It could be during the time I was sick, and I forgot about it.”

The witness further admitted that the names of the people from whom the D4,000 was collected were not mentioned in the book.

Counsel Gomez told the witness that he used to collect revenue for three (3) months without depositing the funds into the account and then going for auditing, but he insisted that the funds were being deposited.

He was shown his cash book to confront him, and he noted that from April to June 2019, he did not undergo auditing.

Gomez asked, “Mr. Jobarteh, it is correct that using the money you collected for your private affairs is wrong,” to which he answered, “It is very wrong.”

By Mama A. Touray

Anna Jatta, the rates and license revenue collector for Brikama Area Council, admitted during the ongoing Local Government Commission of Inquiry that she used D29,500 from council funds for her operation.

Anna made this admission when Deputy Lead Counsel Patrick Gomez informed her about an internal audit finding that highlighted her failure to deposit Twenty-Nine Thousand Five Hundred Dalasi (D29,500).

When asked about the shortage, she explained, “It is true. At that time, I was sick and needed an operation. Therefore, my work schedule was not consistent, and I sometimes stayed for a week or more without going to work.”

Counsel Gomez then pointed out, “So you decided to use the money for your operation?” to which she replied, “Yes.”

It was discovered that Anna Jatta collected One Million Five Hundred and Forty-Two Thousand Five Hundred Dalasi (D1,542,500) between April and July 2022.

“Mrs. Jatta, you know what you did was wrong. This is public funds, and you were supposed to deposit it in the bank. You were not supposed to use it,” Counsel Patrick Gomez remarked, to which Jatta responded, “Yes, I know.”

The witness claimed that she deposited all the sums of money she collected, but Counsel Gomez confronted her with the cash book and bank deposits, showing that there were substantial sums of money she did not deposit in the accounts of the Brikama Area Council, which she admitted.

The audit findings revealed that in one transaction, Anna collected D13,500 in August 2022, of which she deposited only D7,000. Similarly, in another transaction in August the same year, she collected D53,000 and deposited D52,000.

Further investigations showed that in the same month, Anna collected D9,500, of which she deposited D7,000, and there were other transactions in the cash book following the same trend.

At this point, Anna Jatta admitted that she did not deposit the entire sum she collected.

It was also revealed that she collected D83,000 in June but deposited only D40,000, which she later supplemented with deposits of D15,000 and D13,500.

Gomez questioned her about the remaining balance, asking, “What happened to the balance? Why did you not deposit the entire amount of money collected?” Anna replied, “I used the money.”

Meanwhile, Anna testified that she applied for a loan of D70,000, of which the Council granted her D40,000. She clarified that she did not sign any documents for the loan except for the request letter she sent regarding the loan.

She provided bank deposit slips and a receipt from the Brikama Area Council regarding the D29,500 shortage, with the BAC receipt dated 8 February 2024.

Three deposit slips from Eco Bank were submitted by the witness as evidence, showing deposits of D14,000 on 30 November 2023, D8000 on 21 December 2023, and D29,500 on 8 February 2024.