Written by: Seringe S.T. Touray
Editor-in-Chief, The Fatu Network
Banjul Mayor Rohey Malick Lowe on Monday, July 14th returned before the Local Government Commission of Inquiry, where she defended her travel history, procurement practices, and controversial council decisions amid mounting scrutiny over governance lapses and alleged conflicts of interest.
Her latest appearance comes days after businessman Nandu Rajwani told the Commission that he paid a total of 20 million dalasis in two separate transactions for land allocated by the Banjul City Council (BCC), a claim that directly contradicts the mayor’s earlier testimony.
According to Rajwani, he initially paid D15 million in 2019 to an intermediary, Chabell Elhajj, for a plot of land behind the National Assembly, under a lease reportedly issued in Elhajj’s company name. When work on that site was halted by the authorities, Rajwani said Mayor Lowe personally assured him that an alternative parcel on Bond Road would be made available, instructing him to pay an additional D5 million. The full sum of D20 million, he alleged, was communicated to and known by the mayor. Lowe has categorically denied this, telling the Commission two weeks earlier: “I don’t know who Mr. Rajwani is.”
On Monday, the Commission shifted focus to Mayor Lowe’s financial stewardship, with questions on her international travels, the use of public funds, and several council appointments and contracts that lacked formal approval.
One line of questioning concerned a 2019 trip to Washington, D.C., where Mayor Lowe attended the International Women’s Day Conference hosted by the Women’s Democracy Network. While the mayor was officially invited, her personal assistant was not, and the organisers made clear in a written communication that they would not cover the assistant’s costs or guarantee her access to all conference activities. Despite this, BCC paid D89,950 from public funds to support the assistant’s travel.
“Is it a crime for my personal assistant to accompany me?” Lowe asked defensively, arguing that the assistant was part of her working team and had internal clearance. “I travel with my assistant if I believe the conference is going to be a big one,” she added.
When asked whether a formal council resolution had authorised the expense, former BCC Chief Executive Officer Mustapha Batchilly, who appeared alongside the mayor, admitted: “I don’t think the council went that far.”
Counsel Patrick Gomez, lead counsel for the Commission, emphasised that public funds must be spent with formal approval and proper documentation. “You were the one invited. The public cannot be made to pay for someone who was not invited, unless due process is followed,” he said.
Mayor Lowe also faced questions over a multi-country official trip covering Kenya, Morocco, Indonesia, and Malaysia, during which she upgraded her flight tickets to business class on certain segments. She told the Commission that she was issued an imprest to cover her travel costs and that she completed the “retirement” — the official process of submitting receipts and accounting for the funds — by handing over the relevant documents to the then-CEO’s office. However, she said the former CEO later informed her that the documents could no longer be found when the Commission began its investigation. As a result, she paid D200,000 from her own funds to reimburse the council and stated that she would request a refund if the original receipts are eventually recovered.
Investigators confirmed that no documentation had been submitted to the Commission, and in the absence of those records, the upgrade expenses could not be validated under public financial regulations.
Another issue raised was the awarding of a D13.8 million contract for the supply of 3,000 waste bins to a company linked to the mayor’s younger brother, Kebba Lowe. Each bin was procured at D4,600, although market prices at the time were estimated at below D2,500, according to figures cited by the Commission. “Yes, Kebba is my younger brother. We’re very close,” the mayor acknowledged. She denied any wrongdoing, stating, “Kebba went through the right process. I don’t see why he should not do business with the council.”
The Commission questioned the use of restricted tender in the contract award, which is generally reserved for urgent or highly specialised procurement. When asked whether a market price check was conducted prior to the purchase, former CEO Batchilly admitted, “No, a market survey was not done,” later adding, “Maybe it was an oversight.”
A Commission member responded by asking hypothetically, “If you go to the market and they charge you that amount, would you buy it?” Batchilly did not give a direct answer.
The Commission noted that the lack of a market survey, coupled with the use of restricted tender, appeared to violate the Gambia Public Procurement Act. Lead Counsel Patrick Gomez stated, “Kebba was not a specialised operator, and this does not meet the exceptions allowed by law.”
Mayor Lowe also defended her decision to appoint Makumba Sanyang, her former campaign manager, as a paid adviser. “He was my campaign manager. I saw the need to have his advice,” she said. When asked what role the adviser served, she explained, “He cannot give legal advice. He cannot give financial advice. But he was helping with many things on the ground.”
Lead Counsel Patrick Gomez questioned whether the use of public funds for a politically affiliated adviser was appropriate, noting that the position lacked a formal mandate and did not meet the requirements of an administrative or technical appointment. “That is not in the law,” he said.
Both the mayor and former CEO Batchilly also admitted that legal services contracted by the council were hired without going through the required public procurement process. “I didn’t know lawyers had to be registered with GPPA,” Batchilly said. The Commission dismissed this as unacceptable, stating, “There’s a history of total disregard of procurement regulations at this council.”
Mayor Lowe and former CEO Batchilly were told they may be recalled to clarify inconsistencies once the Commission reviews newly submitted documents.
The Local Government Commission of Inquiry, which began in 2023, is investigating procurement irregularities, land misallocations, and suspected financial mismanagement across The Gambia’s local councils. The Banjul City Council has emerged as one of the most scrutinised institutions, particularly in light of the EMK land transaction, in which Nandu Rajwani claims he was misled into paying D20 million for plots the mayor now denies allocating. As proceedings continue, the Commission is expected to call more witnesses and review further evidence related to BCC operations.
