By Makutu Manneh
In a shocking revelation before the Local Government Commission of Inquiry, top officials of the Kerewan Area Council have admitted to awarding millions of dalasis in fraudulent borehole contracts—many handed to a single government employee who did not even own a registered company.
The central figure in the scandal, Nyakasi Kassama, a regional officer at the Department of Water Resources, confessed under oath that he was repeatedly hired by the council despite lacking the qualifications or legal standing to carry out the work. Instead, he subcontracted the borehole projects to actual companies and allegedly paid kickbacks to council officials to ensure he remained the go-to contractor.
His testimony has shattered the credibility of Kerewan’s former leadership, dragging into the spotlight Seedou Touray, the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO), and Alasana Keita, the Deputy Director of Planning. Both men, who oversaw the council’s finances, admitted to authorizing Kassama’s payments—despite mounting evidence that the contracts were based on forged documents.
“The bribes given to the council officials made it difficult to do a good job,” Kassama confessed to the commission.
The Kerewan Area Council is responsible for critical infrastructure projects, including boreholes that supply clean water to rural communities across the North Bank Region. However, instead of ensuring that taxpayer money was used for legitimate development, council officials allegedly allowed a civil servant with no registered company to siphon millions of dalasis through fraudulent contracts.
This scandal has surfaced amid a broader government-led probe into widespread mismanagement and corruption within local councils. The inquiry aims to uncover how public funds have been misused or stolen and to hold those responsible accountable.
The Kerewan case is one of the most serious to emerge, with evidence showing a pattern of forged documents, bribes, and contracts issued without due process.
How Did the Money Disappear?
At the heart of the scandal is Nyakasi Kassama, a regional water resources officer who somehow managed to secure multiple high-value borehole drilling contracts—despite not owning a construction company.
His trick? It had been alleged that he was engaged in forging paperwork and falsely claiming to represent established businesses like INET, Sanneh Enterprise, and Brigoy.
One of the most glaring examples involved an 850,000-dalasi borehole contract in Darussalam, for which a 510,000-dalasi payment was made to Lamin S. Marene on behalf of Kassama—rather than to the company listed on the invoice, Sanneh and Sons Enterprise.
When questioned about this, former CEO Seedou Touray admitted that the payment was approved without verifying whether Kassama was linked to Sanneh Enterprise.
“He said he represented these companies, and we just accepted it,” Touray testified.
A Web of Suspicious Contracts
As the commission combed through financial records, more questionable deals surfaced, revealing a pattern of no-bid contracts, missing documentation, and vanished funds.
Among the most troubling revelations:
- In 2020, Kassama was awarded a 395,000-dalasi borehole drilling contract for the council’s substation in Farafenni. Touray admitted to personally instructing his deputy, Keita, to single-source the contract to Kassama without an open bidding process.
- Another 475,000-dalasi borehole contract was put before the commission, but Touray said he could not recall the details of how it was awarded.
- A separate 666,700-dalasi borehole contract was also granted to Kassama. When asked for supporting documents, Touray failed to produce them.
Counsel Patrick Gomez, the lead investigator, pointed out: “The companies Kassama claimed to represent didn’t even know he was using their names. The people he was subcontracting should have received these contracts directly.”
Despite mounting evidence, Touray and Keita remained defiant.
When pressed on why a single individual was allowed to represent three different companies, Touray simply stated:
“It made sense to me as far as the work was concerned.”
But the evidence painted a different picture—one of systemic corruption and deep administrative negligence.
Bribes and a Lack of Oversight
The commission also uncovered evidence that Kassama’s name was not even on some of the signed contracts. Instead, both Touray and the finance director allegedly signed off on the deals—without verifying his credentials.
Keita, the deputy director of planning, confessed that he prepared the contracts and handed them to Kassama to sign. Despite this, he denied receiving bribes from him.
Counsel Gomez, however, was sceptical.
“You were giving contracts to Kassama because of the kickbacks you received from him,” he said.
Both Touray and Keita denied the claim, but Kassama himself had already admitted that money exchanged hands.
The Kerewan Area Council’s failure to verify its contractors before handing over public funds has shattered trust in local governance. The scandal has raised serious concerns about how many other projects have been compromised through similar fraudulent schemes.
With millions of dalasis in limbo, the commission has now ordered all missing financial records to be provided immediately. The final report could determine whether criminal charges will be filed against those responsible.
For the people of the North Bank Region—many of whom still lack reliable access to clean water—the scandal represents a painful betrayal.
