By Makutu Manneh
Alagie Jeng, the Finance Director of Brikama Area Council has admitted before members of the Local Government Commission of Inquiry that the Council has been making imprudent honorarium payments to Councilors, which were not following due process as per the Local Government Act.
Mr Jeng made the admission when Commissioners confronted him with the auditors finding that BAC was paying excessive honorarium to Councilors, without any due process being followed.
When asked by Lead Counsel Patrick Gomez why Councilor Lamin Jarju was paid D25,000 in September 2021 for car engine support, the witness explained that the Council was using Jarju’s vehicle for revenue collection and when it had a breakdown, they appealed to the CEO for support and he gave him the aforesaid amount.
The Commission noted that another Councillor Modou Lamin Sanyang was paid honorarium for digging a trench.
“What is the legality of this payment?” Lead Counsel Patrick Gomez asked the witness, who replied that Sanyang just requested it and it was approved by the CEO. The witness was then asked what an honorarium is and he replied thus: “It is a show of appreciation.”
When asked how they arrived at giving the Councilors honorarium, the witness replied: “I do not know myself.”
Counsel Gomez told him that he was the Finance Director and ought to know. The witness then replied that it was given to the Councilors because they requested it. He said the funds are paid into their Vista Bank accounts and are paid every six months. He added that the money comes from the Ministry of Finance and is meant to be used for development in the mining communities, and further testified that they do not spend the whole amount in those communities.
On the issue of Geology funds, the witness said that between 2020 and 2023, they received thirty-three million Dalasi (D33,000,000), adding that the first disbursement was paid to Eco Bank, and the rest was paid to their Vista Bank account.
“Do you have a record of how the money is expended? We want to know how much each community benefited from this amount,” Counsel Gomez told the witness.
“Ok, Inshaa Allah,” the witness answered.
The Commission noted that BAC contracted Gigo Construction for a road project worth 9.9 million Dalasi, and the Council paid them 6.9 but the work is still not completed. The witness said BAC owed Gigo some money for pre-financing the work, saying Council was supposed to be making payments to Gigo based on the availability of funds. He requested time to look at the agreement and furnish the Commission with the information.
The witness was provided with the agreement between BAC and Gigo Construction. He identified the agreement as the true one they had with Gigo. The witness said the contract did not indicate the payment method, and the issue of pre-financing was not mentioned in the contract document.
At this juncture, Counsel Gomez then reminded the witness that they had already paid 6.9 million Dalasi to Gigo.
“What did the Area Council do about it?” Counsel Gomez asked.
“Nothing,” the witness said.
“And why?” Counsel Gomez asked.
The witness requested time to look at the details and come back with more information and said D75,550,000 was their total revenue baseline in 2020.
Sittings continue.
