By Makutu Manneh
A revenue collector at the Brikama Area Council (BAC) in the person of (Pa) Sanjally Bojang, was confronted by Commissioners on the variances in the amount of monies he collected and deposited in the council’s account.
Mr. Bojang, who currently collects licenses for the council, said he started as a commission collector in 2002, and went through the ranks as car park revenue collector, rates and tax collector from 2017 to 2020 and now license collector, from 2020 to date.
Deputy Lead Counsel Patrick Gomez of the Local Government Commission of Inquiry (LGCI) reminded the witness of indicating in his cash book on September 2022, that he collected twenty-seven thousand, two hundred and fifty Dalasi (D27, 250) but deposited only twenty-six thousand, five hundred Dalasi (D26, 500), and in February 2022, he collected ninety-eight thousand, five hundred Dalasi (D98, 500) but only deposited ninety-eight thousand Dalasi (D98, 000). Another discrepancy the counsel put to him is that he collected Twenty-five Thousand, Five Hundred Dalasi (D25, 500), but deposited only twenty-five thousand Dalasi. The counsel said in September 2022, he collected twenty thousand, five hundred Dalasi (D20, 500), but deposited only twenty thousand Dalasi (D20, 000).
In response to the said discrepancies, the witness said these were miscalculations, and was a mistake on his part, in his calculations.
“Sometimes, when you are calculating, it is when the errors come, and it is only this year, that we are issued calculators,” Bojang said.
Counsel Gomez disagreed with him and informed him that these were no issues of miscalculation because the amount collected was more than what was deposited in the council’s accounts. He was told that his claim of miscalculation was untenable since the cash book records the collections and the bank deposits show what was deposited into the account.
Counsel Gomez told him that his earlier statement that his cash book was intact was not correct because the cash book he has submitted to the Commission carried these variances.
“This is your cash book. So I do not know what you were reconciling, but it is not correct,” Counsel Gomez told him.
Witness Bojang agreed with Counsel after he read the mistakes from his cash book.
Counsel Gomez made more references to several other transactions from the witness’s cash book where in one of the transactions, the witness was said to have collected thirty-six thousand, five hundred Dalasi (D36, 500), but deposited only twenty-nine thousand, five hundred Dalasi (D29500).
“The balance should be paid [by me],” the witness said.
In another transaction, the witness was said to have collected sixteen thousand, two hundred and fifty Dalasi (D16, 250.00) but did not deposit the amount because there was no receipt to show this.
“I do not understand,” the witness said when Counsel Gomez read it from his cash book.
“This is your cash book. Explain to us,” Gomez told the witness.
“I do not understand this,” the witness said again.
“You collected the money and it is not deposited and you have to pay for it,” Counsel Gomez told him.
“Yes,” the witness said.
In yet another transaction in June 2022, the witness was said to have been given a receipt of Forty Thousand Dalasi (D40,000), for a collection that was more than the amount, but again, he could not provide an explanation.
About the auditors’ report that he has not presented a cash book and two GTRs for auditing, the witness said the cash book was exhausted and was lost in a storm, which took the roof of his house. He added that he has submitted the two GTRs to the council but was informed about not submitting them for audit. He explained that he went to the council’s store to find them but was able to find only one of the GTRs.
The witness submitted a police report dated 15th September 2022 for the lost of a cash book signed by the then officer commanding Brikama Division. The document was tendered and admitted into evidence.
The witness stated that the incident happened in 2021, but he reported the issue in 2022. The witness testified that he was doing weekly reconciliation with the internal audit unit of the BAC, and said he was informed by the former CEO Modou Jonga, that he was supposed to pay sixteen thousand Dalasi (D16,000) for the un-presented GTR.
The witness said he paid ten thousand Dalasi (D10,000,000) but has still not paid the balance because he does not have money.
Sitting continues.
