By Makutu Manneh
Alagie Jeng, the Finance Director of Brikama Area Council (BAC) has appeared before members of the Local Government Commission of Inquiry to testify on the four million, three hundred and fifty-nine thousand, one hundred- and ninety-seven-Dalasi revenue collected by Ida Jallow from 2022 to 2023, but she did not deposit it in Council’s account.
Mr. Jeng appeared together with Ida Jallow before the Commissioners, to shed light on the above-mentioned amount.
When asked why the money was not deposited in the Council’s accounts, Mr. Jeng replied: “Management (the CEO and Finance director) did not ask for the money to be deposited at the bank, because the collection will be used as a petty cash payment. Her revenue will be used as petty cash payment which is why her collection was not going to the bank.” He said the monies were spent on payments like cash power and honorarium.
“I have the retirements. All of them are retired and they are all posted in my cashbook and the vouchers are available too,” witness Jeng said, acknowledging that whatever Ms. Jallow did was under his instruction.
Witness Jeng added that Ms. Jallow was stationed at the office where she normally collects Kombo’s residential allowances, leased land properties, and certificates of occupancy, whose owners come to the office to pay to her.
On the employment of Ms. Jallow, Jeng said she was a cashier but Ms. Jallow disagreed, saying she was appointed as a revenue collector.
Finance Director Jeng disagreed and said she was employed as a revenue collector but was later deployed as a cashier. Witness Jeng however disclosed that he does not have the letter for the deployment of Ida Jallow.
“You must have a letter if you say so. But the fact is she remains to be a revenue collector,” Counsel Gomez told Jeng and he agreed.
Lead Counsel Patrick Gomez told him that CEO Jonga testified before the Commission saying all collectors are instructed to deposit collected revenue at the bank, and Jeng agreed.
Counsel Gomez told him that saying that Ms. Jallow was instructed not to deposit her collection is a contradiction to what the CEO said.
Jeng replied that what former CEO Jonga said is true, but that he was aware that Ms. Jallow was not depositing her revenues at the bank.
Witness Jeng provided the Commission with the summary of payments in 2022 which he said some of the money was spent on. This was admitted at the Commission. He asked Commissioners to give him time to go back to the Council and prepare the rest, adding that these were electronic print out of his cashbook.
Witness Jeng said these monies were not directly given to him, but when reconciliation was done and there was a cash balance “which is very minimal’’, they use the money to buy cash power for the weekend. He was given the financial manual for the local government which said the Council should operate petty cash from which minor expenses can be paid, further saying that the petty cash should not exceed the amount prescribed and approved by the CEO in consultation with the Finance Director, who should set the ceiling on the amount and types of expenses that can be paid through petty cash. Witness Jeng said they were not following this procedure at the Council.
Sitting continues.
