By Makutu Manneh
Lamin Jawara, a revenue collector who testified working for Brikama Area Council for over 20 years, informed members of the Local Government Commission of Inquiry that he sometimes uses his collections to feed his family.
Mr. Jawara said this attitude which is not habitual of him, happened because of constraints in providing for his family, noting that he intends to pay back all the monies he has misused.
“As a family man with so many constraints, there is nothing you can do. I cannot ignore it, and this is the time when condition forces me to do certain things,” he said.
Lead Counsel Patrick Gomez told the witness Jawara that it is sad for him to be in such a situation, but said this is not an excuse for him to resort to illegal means.
‘‘In as much as you may have a genuine reason to yourself, that is still stealing,” Lead Council Gomez told the witness.
In response, witness Jawara apologized for his actions and accepted that what he did was wrong. The witness was praised by both Lead Counsel Gomez and Commission Chairperson Jainaba Bah, for boldly admitting to his faults.
Lead Counsel Gomez continued to tell the witness that there is an amount of ten thousand, two hundred and twenty-five Dalasi from his collection that was queried by the Internal Audit Unit of the council.
In his response, the witness explained that this money was given to his co-worker to deposit at the bank on his behalf, but unfortunately, the name of his co-worker was written in the deposit slip instead of his own name (the witness’s), which he said his co-worker can attest to.
But Counsel Gomez put it to the witness that from the 1st to the 7th of November 2022, he has collected thirteen thousand and fifty Dalasi which he signed, but his balance showed an amount of eight thousand, seven hundred and fifty Dalasi. Counsel Gomez asked the witness why that was the case and why he did not pay the money in full.
In his explanation, the witness said this was an accumulation and that the payment was done in that manner.
Witness Jawara was further informed that on the 1st of September 2022, he collected seventeen thousand, two hundred Dalasi but the commission could not trace this amount in any of the council’s accounts.
“Well I have to go through my cashbook, because it should be there,” the witness responded. Counsel Gomez told him that is fair and the commission needs him to verify the amount too.
Counsel Gomez told him that going through his 2020 cash book, it appeared that there are revenues collected with GTRs, but without deposit slips.
“Can you explain why you have a GTR without a bank deposit slip,” Counsel Gomez asked.
The witness’s explanation was that normally when he deposits money at the bank and takes a deposit slip to the principal cashier, the bank slips will be taken and only the GTR of the principal cashier will be issued to him.
Counsel Gomez said what he meant is that these monies cannot be traced in the Council’s accounts. The witness said this is because they were not depositing at the bank when they were paying to the council’s principal cashier.
Counsel Gomez disagreed and informed him that the evidence they have is that by 2020, they were using machines and they were already instructed to deposit all revenue collected at the bank.
“This should be in two folds. It is either I have paid to the principal cashier or I have deposited the amount at the bank,” the witness said.
Lead Counsel Gomez asked him if there were times when any senior official of the Council asked for his collected revenue, to spend it on council’s activities. Witness Jawara said this has never happened.
Counsel Gomez told the witness to take note of the following amounts and provide the Commission with evidence during his next testimony, and these are: on the 3rd of April 2020, eight thousand, five hundred and sixty-five Dalasi; on the 24th of April 2022, seven thousand, six hundred and ninety Dalasi; on the 4th of June 2020, seven thousand, nine hundred and seventy-five Dalasi; on the 22nd of June 2020, eight thousand, nine hundred and twenty-five Dalasi.
Sitting continues.
