By Makutu Manneh
Mr. Ebrima Suwaneh, one-time Chairperson of an Auction Sale Committee (currently serving as the Acting Director Of Administration) has said that One Million, Two Hundred and Twenty-nine Thousand, Six Hundred Dalasi generated from the sales of the Council’s 27 assets were all handed over to Lamin Suso.
Mr. Suso, an erstwhile Finance Manager one (1) of BAC and the Cashier of the Auction Committee, is being mentioned time and time again while the Commission continue to divulge happenings in the Area Councils and Municipalities.
According to the witness, Lamin Suso, was the secretary to the auction committee, and on the day of the sales, the Finance Director, said Suso was the Cashier of the committee.
“Suso was nominated as a member of the Committee. When it was time for the sales, we asked for the Finance [Unit] to provide us a Cashier, and they said Suso can be the Cashier,” the witness said.
“D1,229,600 was realised from the auction and all these monies were given to Lamin Suso,” he told the Local Government Commission of Inquiry.
Lead Counsel Patrick Gomez asked the witness if these monies were banked.
He responded that the finance committee confirmed that the monies were put into the council’s account.
The internal audit of BAC has conducted a system audit pertaining to the auction and in their report, they indicated that Lamin Suso Kept D103, 000 with himself while 1.6 Million was in limbo.
Reacting to these allegations before the commission, Suso, said the audits findings were not true saying he has evidence to disprove the audit’s finding. He also added he was not aware of the audit finding against him because by then he left the council.
He agreed that D1,229,600 was supposed to be received from the auction.
Suso later on told the commission that One Million Dalasi of the auction money was deposited, but he could not provide evidence of the deposit. He said he couldn’t trace the D229,000 from the deposits.
On Suso’s testimony that two reports were prepared in relation to the auction, witness Suwaneh disputed that evidence and added that there was only one report prepared, which he did not sign as the Chair of the auction committee.
Counsel Gomez asked him if he had signed the report as the chairman, he responded in the negative.
“Do you call this a report? Gomez asked.
“It was our report,” the witness answered.
The witness testified further that he did not read the report and that he does not know the content of the report generated after the auction sale.
The witness was given the document, and he confirmed it to be the particular report of the auction. Responding to questions on the document, Suwaneh admitted that there were deficiencies.
He said a vehicle with registration number BAC 5 was sold at Eight Thousand Dalasi (D8000). The witness said the vehicle was a scrap, but he was told that a scrap vehicle does not cost D8000.
The evaluation report for the auction was done by one Matarr Ceesay and was addressed to the CEO of the Council on the 4th November, 2019.
At this juncture, the Commission Chairperson, Jainaba Bah, interjected and said to the witness: “You have to be honest. You were the chair of the committee, but you did not participate in the auction. It is a fair claim that you went to write your exams,” Chairperson Jainaba Bah said.
“Yes, I agree,” the witness said.
“Just tell the truth and stop defending something you did not participate in. We have been seeing the gaps in your answers,” Chairperson Bah observed.
“Yes, I agree,” the witness answered.
“Did you know whether the attendance register was taken?” Counsel Gomez asked.
“No, I don’t know,” the witness answered.
BAC 8 was sold at Eight Thousand Dalasi (D8,000). It was not part of the vehicles evaluated.
“It was valued on the day of the auction and sold on that day,” the witness said.
The witness said the decision to do the valuation was a decision of the Committee.
“You decided that in addition to the assets valued, you would add another asset that is not valued and sell it,” Counsel Gomez said.
“Yes, with the help of the auctioneer,” the witness said.
“You and I know that the auctioneer is not an expert,” Gomez said.
“Yes,” the witness said.
“You were supposed to sell 12 assets, and you ended up selling 27 assets,” Gomez told the witness.
“I agree,” the witness answered.
“This explains why the money cannot be accounted for,” Gomez told the witness.
“I agree,” the witness said.
The auction was done on 25th January, 2020, and the report was done in April, 2020. The witness said the delay in the preparation of the report was as a result of the delay of payments from the people who purchased the assets.
“Did you make sure the money was deposited in the bank?” Gomez asked.
“The money was paid to Lamin Suso, and Lamin Suso said he gave the money to the Director of Finance, and the Director of Finance said the money was deposited,” the witness said.
“Did you, as the Chairperson, make sure the money was paid into the bank?” Gomez asked again.
The witness repeated that he relied on the information obtained from Lamin Suso and the Director of Finance.
Chairperson Jainaba Bah interjected to tell the witness to answer the questions and stop dodging.
“You were the Chair of the Committee, and you have a responsibility. So answer the question,” Chairperson Bah emphasizes to the witness.
“It is correct that you did not cross-check whether the money was in the bank or not,” Chairperson Bah asked.
“Yes, I did not cross-check to find out whether the money was deposited or not,” the witness replied.
The witness testified that there was a second auction of other assets, and this time around, the Director of Finance provided them with a Cashier called Fatou Jarju. He provided the commission with the valuation report for 23 assets. The valuation report was dated 28th December, 2021. It was tendered and admitted in evidence.
“No one signed the report,” Chairperson Jainaba Bah told the witness.
“It is from the Procurement Unit,” the witness said.
The witness claimed that the auction was conducted successfully and that all the assets were disposed of. He informed the Commission that he could not know the total revenue made from the sales.
“I followed the Director of Finance and the Cashier, but they did not give me. I informed the CEO about it because I needed it to prepare my report,” the witness said.
He said the information he was requesting was the people who purchased the assets and the amount each paid. He testified that he still did not know how much was generated from the sales. He said Fatou Jarju, the Cashier, was a Senior Accountant.
“The money was handed to the Director of Finance Alagie Jeng,” the witness said.
He accused the Finance Director of interference.
