By Makutu Manneh
The former acting audit director of Banjul City Council (BCC), Abdoulie J. Corr, has testified before the Local Government Commission of Inquiry that the council failed to produce quarterly audit reports due to management’s repeated interference.
“When we prepare draft reports and send them to management, they never respond, making it difficult for us to finalize them,” Corr said. He singled out BCC Chief Executive Officer Mustapha Batchilly, whom he accused of ignoring draft reports in both 2020 and 2021.
Corr further stated that the audit unit was often denied access to the council’s financial statements, and when they were provided, it was always late.
“Whenever we asked for the statements, we were given endless excuses,” he said, adding that this obstruction prevented the completion of quarterly reports.
Instead, he explained the audit unit could only produce yearly or nine-month reports, relying on whatever financial information became available in September when the council prepared its budget. Corr said he completed about eight reports, but was forced to hand them over to the director of administration when he was interdicted. The commission has since ordered BCC to provide the reports for review.
The former audit director also testified that not all financial vouchers passed through the audit department.
“Some vouchers come through internal audit, but there are cases where we don’t even see them. We only notice the postings, and when we ask for the vouchers, we are given excuses,” he said.
Corr, who joined BCC as a revenue collector in 2002, rose through the ranks in various accounting and auditing roles before serving as acting director of audit from 2019 to 2023. He will reappear before the commission once he receives the audit reports from the BCC as he is currently interdicted and not having access to his office.
Also appearing before the commission was Jalika Manneh, a revenue collector at BCC, who submitted four cash books covering 2018 to 2019. The commission admitted them into evidence and informed her that she may be recalled after further review.
