Modou Lamin B. Bah, The National Assembly Member for Banjul North and Former PRO at BCC
By Fatou Sillah
Modou Lamin B. Bah, the National Assembly Member for Banjul North and former Public Relations Officer (PRO) at the Banjul City Council (BCC), appeared before the Local Government Commission of Inquiry on Wednesday to answer questions regarding financial requests made during his tenure at the council.
During the hearing, the lead counsel questioned Bah about his responsibilities at the BCC. In response, he stated that his role encompassed overseeing programs, communication, and other related activities. He explained that he initially volunteered with the council, primarily collecting data on alleged ghost workers, and later expressed interest in joining the council officially.
According to Bah, he learned about the PRO vacancy after the previous officer was promoted to Administrative Manager. He submitted his application on December 1, 2018, and received his appointment letter from CEO Mustapha Batchilly on January 23, 2019. Bah acknowledged that he could not recall appearing before a formal interview panel, but had discussions with the CEO regarding the position. He confirmed his appointment came with a Grade 8.1 salary scale.“I was the only one in my office until when I decided to contest for the Parliamentary elections that Fatou Mbenga came in,” Bah stated.
He also mentioned maintaining a “public file” containing documents related to his role as PRO, which he was asked to submit to the commission.
The inquiry also examined several financial disbursements made in the name of the witness. During the proceedings, the lead counsel presented a series of payment vouchers, including the following transactions:
- 1st July 2022: D19,000 disbursed for a town hall meeting
- 25th November 2021: D15,000 allocated for the weekly purchase of fuel for the mayor’s vehicles
- November 2021: D30,000 issued as a personal loan, with an agreement for it to be deducted from his salary
Upon reviewing the voucher dated 25th November 2021, the lead counsel inquired, “Is this D15,000 meant to cover fuel expenses every week?”
The witness stated that he was unsure about the exact timing of the event but recalled making the request. He explained that he handed the money to the protocol officer at the time, who was responsible for purchasing fuel. The CEO, Batchilly, had instructed him to raise this amount on behalf of the mayor, which is why he took action.
When questioned by the lead counsel regarding the 19,000 dalasis disbursed on July 1, 2022, for logistics related to a town hall meeting, the witness clarified that the payment was made by check. He confirmed that he followed the instructions outlined in the request and ensured all expenses were properly documented and retired.“I am surprised no retirement is attached because I retired everything; I do not joke with retirement,” he said.
The commission gave Bah time to retrieve and submit all records related to payments he received and corresponding retirements.
The inquiry also raised concerns about the D5,500 unit cost for a banner used at the town hall meeting. Bah defended the expense, explaining that the banner was a large one.
When questioned about procurement procedures, Bah admitted it was not his area of expertise. “Then why don’t you tell them that you cannot do this, it is not your area,”?”the lead counsel asked. Bah responded that he takes responsibility and acknowledged it as a learning experience.
On the issue of the D30,000 personal loan, Bah confirmed that he had requested the loan from the CEO, which was approved. He maintained that the amount was duly deducted from his salary. Stating: “I applied from the CEO and it was granted, I remember I paid the loan because it was deducted from my salary.”