By Makutu Manneh
In a startling admission before the Local Government Commission of Inquiry, Mustapha Sarr, a trade licence revenue collector for the Banjul City Council (BCC), has acknowledged that he had suppressed a total of Three Hundred and Fifty-four Thousand Dalasi (D354,000) from the council’s revenue collections between 2021 and 2022.
Sarr confessed that the funds were used for personal reasons, including family matters and his own business ventures.
“I was using the monies for family matters. I have some personal businesses I use the money for,” Sarr said, revealing how he misappropriated the funds collected after failing to submit them to the BCC cashier.
Sarr explained that whenever he expected money from his relatives abroad, he would spend the collected funds, intending to repay them later.
When questioned by Deputy Counsel Sunkary Camara, Sarr admitted that he never sought permission from BCC management to spend the council’s money on personal expenses, acknowledging that such actions were unlawful.
Sarr further revealed that he has begun repaying the misappropriated funds, with D25,000 already refunded to the council’s account, following instructions from acting director of finance, Mr. Sowe.
The inquiry also heard testimony from Alagie Sowe, a suspended revenue collector from BCC, who was confronted with findings suggesting fraudulent activities during his tenure. Lead Counsel Patrick Gomez highlighted discrepancies in Sowe’s financial records, citing an audit report from 2018 which revealed that Sowe had collected D172,000 but failed to deposit it at the bank.
In his defence, Sowe contended that the audit query was based on a six-month period and claimed that the discrepancy was due to a posting error. He explained that he had attempted to meet with the director of audit to resolve the issue, but was unable to do so. Sowe also provided the commission with his suspension letter and stated that his cash books were handed over to other BCC officials when he was suspended.
The inquiry also brought up a national audit report, which revealed that Sowe had allegedly suppressed D678,040 in revenue. However, Counsel Gomez refrained from questioning Sowe about this particular matter, noting that further inquiry on this discrepancy would occur at a later date.
The hearings continue as the Commission of Inquiry works to uncover the full extent of financial mismanagement within BCC’s revenue collection system.
