By Fatou Sillah
Momodou Camara, the former Finance Director of the Banjul City Council (BCC), on Wednesday continued his testimony before the Local Government Commission of Inquiry, where he was questioned about several payments made during his time in office.
Lead Counsel Patrick Gomez confronted Camara about a payment made on May 5th, 2021, to A&K Analytic Limited for accounting software, amounting to D233,000 under the BCC’s Ostend Project. Gomez asked whether Camara was present when the payment was made.
In response, Camara stated that while he might have been present, he did not authorize or sign off on that particular payment. “The only payment I signed under the Ostend EU project was for PPEs,” he clarified.
The commission also questioned Camara about a BCC staff retreat held in Foni. According to audit findings presented by the lead counsel, the council’s cash book showed duplicate payments for per diem and transportation allowances related to that retreat. Gomez noted that the records indicated two sets of payments totaling D669,879 for the January 2022 retreat at Foni Bintang.
“We noted duplicate payments relating to per diem and transportation to council staff during a retreat in Foni. Duplicate payments between two records amounting to six hundred and 69 thousand eight hundred and 79 dalasis during the year 2022. Now the table outlines that the record for the 25th of January 2022 shows in the cash book that, the details being disbursements in the cash book as cash imprests for the EU Ostend BCC project retreat at Foni Bintang from the 27th to the 30th of January 2022.”
“Was there a retreat?” Gomez asked.
“Yes, there was a retreat,” Camara replied. He explained that he received an imprest of D252,000 for the event but emphasized that the funds were disbursed from the Banjul City Council’s main account, not from the Ostend Project funds. “The imprest I was given was two hundred and 52 thousand. I only knew about the findings when I came to the investigation panel,” he said.
The witness stated that the project was audited comprehensively, “from A to Z,” yet at no point was he contacted, called, emailed, or consulted regarding the audit or any issues requiring his clarification.
When asked by the lead counsel whether he had submitted retirements for the funds in question, the witness confirmed that he had. He presented copies of his retirements to the commission, which were later returned to him.
He further testified that Ebou Drammeh was the acting finance manager at the time of the retreat, and that the imprest he received was intended to cover transportation fares, stationery, and other related expenses.
The lead counsel then referred to a 2021 payment of D10,000 in honorarium to Dawda Jobe for facilitating a workshop for non-organized citizens and asked the witness what that was about. The witness responded that he had no knowledge of the payment.
He was also questioned about other honorarium payments made to various individuals, but he maintained that he had no idea about those either.
“The Mayoress, I will never forgive her. She would always go to the bank, get the overdraft, and then tell you how to spend it. But when there is an issue with salaries, she will tell you to go to the director of finance, he will tell you where the money is,” Camara stated.
The Lead Counsel followed up: “You said sometimes she will go to the bank, make an arrangement for withdrawals, and then instruct you to follow a certain payment pattern. That would be regular. Why is it difficult to not agree to that?”
In response, the witness explained that although he had raised concerns multiple times, he felt compelled to comply with instructions from the CEO. Refusing to do so, he said, would amount to insubordination. However, the Lead Counsel disagreed with that justification.
The Lead Counsel also referenced other payments made by the Banjul City Council (BCC).
“We have payment to Lamin Boye, the amount of which is one hundred and sixty three thousand, three hundred Dalasi, being disbursement for the cost of bearing trucks. You have Hamza Trading payments, lunch, dinner, and refreshments—one hundred and six thousand Dalasi. You have Rohey Malick Lowe being disbursed per diem allowance to attend a conference. You have payments made to Momodou Lamin A. Bah, cash imprest as logistics for the fumigation exercise in Banjul, and one hundred and twenty two thousand Dalasi. The list goes on. The list in total for the first part is about four million, four hundred and seventy two thousand, three hundred and two Dalasis,” the lead counsel said.
The lead counsel stated that all the imprests were issued in the Mayor’s name, creating the impression that she was personally making the donations to gain political favor.
“Fatou Mbenga was giving 23 thousand Dalasis in respect to cash imprests allocation for a condolence package to two deceased Banjulian wrestlers feeding and for the Rohey Malick Lowe “drapour” association. Were you guys really serious?” He Said
He continued: “The request reads, I write on behalf of the Mayor to request for the following packages: condolences for two deceased Banjulian wrestlers feeding, and on the 21st of May 2022, the wrestling association of Senegal dedicated a special event called unveiling the “drapour” name “Rohey Malick Lowe drapour” in Senegal, and you have to take money in Senegal while the people back home are suffering.”
He also referenced a voucher issued as an imprest to the Mayoress through Fatou Mbenga, detailing a payment of D27,200 for accommodation, food, and refreshments for council guests from Senegal.
In another instance, he cited a voucher indicating a payment of D400,000 to Fatou Mbenga for cash distribution to flood victims.
“So you give four hundred thousand dalasis to the mayor, for her to decide how to dish it out,” the lead counsel said.
He also referenced another payment voucher, showing that an additional 20,000 dalasis for the PA system for the mayor’s upcoming town hall meeting was once again paid directly to her. A further 93,000 dalasis was also disbursed for a TV-led projector, chairs, tents, PA system, and sound equipment for the same event.
He argued that such payments should not be made directly to the mayor but should instead follow standard procurement procedures. The lead counsel went on to highlight several other payments that were similarly made to the mayor.