By: Mama A. Touray
Another revenue collector from the Brikama Area Council, Fatou Dampha, has confessed during the ongoing Local Government Commission of Inquiry about the 2019 audit report, which highlighted a total shortage of D33,000 in council funds.
Prior to this admission, Dampha testified that after collecting council funds, she was supposed to deposit the money into the council’s accounts. However, she informed the commission that there were instances where she fell short and did not deposit the full amount she collected.
Addressing the 2019 audit findings regarding D6,050 she had collected, the witness acknowledged collecting the amount but admitted to not depositing it into the council’s account.
Fatou added quickly, “It might be a calculation problem,” when questioned by counsel Gomez about what she meant. She explained that there were times when she calculated her collections and recorded shortages, stating, “It happened several times.”
Lead Counsel Patrick Gomez confronted the witness, saying, “You used the money for your own personal issues,” to which she replied, “Yes.”
The commission informed Collector Dampha about the council’s lodgment roll, which showed that from February 24th to March 2nd, 2022, she collected D60,000 but did not undergo auditing. In September, there was a balance of Two Hundred and Fifty Dalasi (D250), and from May 12th to May 18th, 2022, there was a collection of Twenty-Five Thousand (D25,000).
The witness was provided with the bank statements of the Brikama Area Council to verify the deposits she made in relation to her collections. While she could trace some of her deposits, in most instances, she did not deposit all her collections.
“I was not aware of these shortages,” the witness claimed.
She was then instructed to cross-check her cash book with the bank statement, after which she admitted to not depositing all the funds she had collected.
Counsel Gomez pointed out that she used to present herself before the Council’s Cashier but did not undergo auditing at the audit unit, which she acknowledged, confirming the accuracy of the information in the lodgment register.
Additionally, in February 2022, the witness deposited D50,000, but council records indicated a higher collection. The Commission observed that she was issued a receipt for D59,000 while her deposit was only D50,000 at Eco Bank.
“We understand that the receipts given to you by the cashier were fraudulent because our account checks show different amounts. You deposited less than the receipts you were given,” Chairperson Bah informed the witness.
After a moment of silence, the witness stated that she would verify the information from the office.
Furthermore, Dampha testified that she had taken a D50,000 loan from the Council in 2021 and had repaid it.
Chairperson Jainaba Bah intervened, instructing her to provide evidence of the repayment to the commission.
The witness’s cash book covering 2018 to 2022 was submitted and admitted as evidence. An additional statement from the witness dated March 21, 2024, was also tendered and accepted as evidence.
In the additional statement, the witness mentioned that she repaid the loan last week.
Fatou Dampha resides in Brikama Nyambai and joined the BAC in 2014 as a revenue collector at the Rates and Taxes Unit before being redeployed to the License Unit in 2017. Currently, she is responsible for the Nema-su area and collects revenue solely from business establishments in that area.
