By Makutu Manneh
Since 2023 Mustapha A.B.E. Sarr has not set foot in his office at Banjul City Council (BCC) for work. He left the BCC with the excuse that he was going to contest elections. Yet, his salary has continued to be paid in full for the whole of 2023. He lost the elections and he has still not reported back to work. Now, appearing before the Local Government Commission of Inquiry, Sarr has not only admitted to collecting a paycheque while staying at home, but also to diverting hundreds of thousands of dalasis in public funds for personal use.
Sarr, who was hired as a revenue collector in 2019, testified on March 18 that he withheld D324,000 in trade license fees from businesses along Buckle, Leman, Wallington, and Hagen streets. When questioned about the missing funds, he admitted, “I used the money.”
Pressed further, he offered little justification beyond personal necessity. “I used it to solve my problems,” he said. He confirmed that no one authorized him to use the funds and that he knew it was wrong.
Despite owing D324,000, Sarr has repaid only D25,000—D20,000 on October 11, 2024, and D5,000 on October 24, 2024—both deposited into BCC’s Trust Bank account. The remainder remains unpaid.
The inquiry also exposed gaps in financial record-keeping. When asked to provide his cash books from 2018 to 2023, Sarr produced only those for 2021 and 2022, claiming the rest were “likely at the BCC main office.” However, he had not attempted to locate them.
Counsel Sunkary Camara noted that Sarr’s 2021 cash book began in March, with February’s collections missing—despite other collectors confirming that trade license fees are usually gathered starting in February. Sarr had no explanation.
Beyond financial misconduct, Sarr’s employment status raises further concerns. In March 2023, he took a leave of absence to contest the local government elections for Box Bar Ward under the United Democratic Party (UDP). He lost to NPP candidate Abdou Aziz Gaye, who won with over 57% of the vote.
Yet, despite his defeat, Sarr never returned to work—and BCC continued to pay his full salary throughout 2023 and beyond.
“I received my full salary from January to December 2023,” he admitted, confirming that he has not worked since then.
Sarr’s testimony is part of a broader investigation by the Local Government Commission of Inquiry, which is probing financial mismanagement in local councils from 2018 to 2023. The ease with which he suppressed public funds, failed to keep proper records, and continued to receive a salary without working has raised alarm over accountability within BCC.
With the majority of the missing D324,000 still unaccounted for and no clear plan for repayment, the commission is pressing for full reimbursement and stricter financial oversight to prevent similar abuses in the future.
