By Makutu Manneh
Mr Alieu K. Darboe, former Ward Councillor for Kembujeh, on Wednesday, 21 August 2024, testified before the Local Government Commission of Inquiry (LGCI).
In his testimony, he informed the Commission that he served in the Brikama Area Council from May 2018 to May 2022, and was a member of the Market Committee, Foreign and Integration Committee, Education, and Youth and Sports Committee.
He testified that he was the secretary to the Market Committee and was then asked to provide the commission with the minutes of meetings of the Market Committee after he claimed that the committee used to sit regularly – twice a month or at least once a month.
According to Darboe, during his time in the Council from 2018 to 2022, his ward did not receive allocation from the Council to cater for their development plans. He stated that he had raised it in some of the meetings of the Council, but he was told that something would be done about it. He added that until he left the Council, they were not allocated any funds by the Brikama Area Council.
On the issue of the Geology Funds sent by the Gambia Government to the Brikama Area Council for the mining communities, the witness said they discussed it in one of the Council meetings in 2019 and his ward received two letters from the Council regarding the funds. He testified that they did not receive the funds during his time as the Councillor.
The witness was questioned about the letter they sent to the Clerk of the Council indicating that they would abstain from all Council meetings because Ex-Chairman Sheriffo Sonko was illegally occupying the office of Chairman. He testified that he was one of the signatories and also confirmed that after sending the letter they stayed for several months without attending Council meetings.
“Because he was expelled from his party you refused to attend meetings of the Council,” Lead Counsel Patrick Gomez told the witness.
“Yes,” the witness answered.
“For how long?” Gomez asked.
“It is more than a month,” the witness answered.
“It was more than 3 months,” Gomez told the witness.
“Yes,” the witness replied.
“Were you paid your allowances during this period?” Gomez asked.
“Yes,” the witness answered.
“What were you doing during this period?” Gomez asked.
“Council work goes beyond sitting in the general meetings,” the witness answered.
“What were you doing?” Gomez asked again.
The witness was not able to provide an answer. All he stated was “the Chairman was illegally occupying office because he was expelled from his political party and he decided to join the ruling NPP.”
Counsel Gomez told the witness that the idea that Sonko was occupying office illegally was subjective, which has not been determined by a court or a competent authority. He told the witness that there was a legal procedure for removing a Chairman. The witness said they only wrote the letter to the Clerk and then abstained from Council meetings.
After several questions and answers, the witness testified that their decision to abstain from Council meetings was wrong, adding that they should have followed and exhausted the procedures provided by law. He took time to apologise to his people for failing them. He also indicted the Vice Chairman, who was part of them, and all the Councillors who signed the letter and chose to abstain from the Council meetings.
Former Councillor Darboe further stated that they were all wrong in their decision to stay at home. He testified that he confronted the Vice Chairman to organise meetings in the absence of the Chairman. He added that the Vice Chairman (Ismaila Jallow) declined his requests for him to organise Council meetings.
He admitted that they were not entitled to the allowance they were paid during the period they abstained themselves from attending Council meetings and activities.
He was asked about the ‘Salibo’ Allowance they used to receive during Koriteh and Tobaski feasts. The witness said they were given the money as an honorarium. He added that an honorarium is paid to someone who does work or service for the Council.
“You know you did not work for it,” Counsel Sunkary Camara told the witness.
“They gave us to support us for the feasts,” the witness replied
“You agreed that you did not work for it,” Counsel Camara told the witness.
“Yes,” the witness admitted.
He stated that they used to give him the money in the name of honorarium. He admitted further that he did not do any work to receive the payment. He emphasised that the payment was unjustifiable and therefore illegal.
