By Yankuba Jallow
Sheriffo Sonko, the former Chairman of the Brikama Area Council (BAC), appeared before the Local Government Commission of Inquiry on Monday, 29 July 2025, and admitted to serious lapses in oversight and accountability, particularly in the handling of more than D33 million in Geology Funds meant for community development. His testimony was part of the ongoing inquiry into the financial and administrative conduct of local government councils between May 2018 and January 2023.
The Geology Funds, which were paid to the Brikama Area Council by the Department of Geology from royalties for mining operations in the West Coast Region, amounted to D33,713,176.01 between May 2020 and June 2023. These funds were intended to benefit communities affected by mining. However, Sonko confessed that most of the money was not used for its intended purpose.
While facing Lead Counsel Patrick Gomez, Sonko admitted that the funds were instead used to offset negative bank balances.
“I should have asked, but I did not ask,” Sonko told the Commission.
“Money that was meant for the communities was diverted.”
“Yes, yes,” he admitted.
He said a finance committee was set up to look into the Geology Funds and a team was put in place to administer them. But despite being chairman, he admitted he failed to follow up on how the money was spent and accepted that it was wrong not to do so.
The Commission revealed that only a small portion of the money—just over D3 million—actually reached the communities. Gunjur Ward received D2 million, Kartong Ward got D1.6 million, and Pirang Ward received D767,300. The remainder—more than D29 million—was unaccounted for. Sonko said he had no knowledge of how the rest of the money was spent and claimed that he only became aware of the extent of the discrepancy during the Commission’s proceedings.
Chairperson Jainaba Bah challenged him on his lack of curiosity about the Council’s finances and failure to investigate such significant amounts.
“You should have been interested in trying to understand why the loans and overdrafts, and where the council funds go,” Chairperson Bah said.
Sonko responded:
“The system that I met at the BAC was very difficult to deal with.”
He explained that there was always poor planning in the council and distanced himself from core financial decisions.
Sonko’s appearance also highlighted wider financial and administrative irregularities during his five-year tenure, including questionable loans, violations of procurement rules, and a breakdown in internal controls.
His written statement to the Commission, dated 9 September 2024, was tendered into evidence. In it, he stated that the Brikama Area Council comprised 28 elected councillors and that he nominated nine additional councillors. He also noted that the council contracted lawyers to help recover taxes—a matter that he said was discussed by the Contracts Committee. The Commission has requested the minutes of that committee for review.
During questioning, Sonko admitted that although he was the head of the council, he was largely kept out of financial decisions.
“Most of the spending are not discussed with me,” he said.
When asked by Counsel Gomez to explain why, he replied:
“Due to the nature of the council.”
He said financial decisions were typically made between the CEO and the finance director. Despite being aware that the Local Government Act required the council to set an expenditure threshold, Sonko confirmed that no such limit was in place. He admitted that he continued operating under the status quo.
“My interest was for the council to deliver to expectation,” he said.
But Gomez argued that the Council had failed to deliver—particularly in the areas of procurement and financial accountability. He referenced a 2022 internal audit report which detailed severe procurement violations, such as double fueling of vehicles, payments made without supporting documents, and the use of cash without issuing receipts.
Asked what action he took in response to the report, Sonko said:
“I cannot remember doing anything.”
He then attributed some of the council’s problems to political instability, explaining that councillors refused to attend council meetings for over a year following his expulsion from the United Democratic Party (UDP) in 2020. The councillors argued that he had no mandate to remain in office and boycotted meetings until the High Court ruled in his favor in 2021.
However, Counsel Gomez dismissed that explanation, stating that the procurement violations were unrelated to the councillor boycott. He accused Sonko of using the political conflict to deflect responsibility for mismanagement. Sonko maintained that he was “distracted,” but Gomez insisted that millions of dalasis were mismanaged under his leadership.
Regarding salary increments for council staff, Sonko said that they were approved by the Ministry of Lands and Regional Government, as well as through a 30% government-wide salary increase. The Commission has demanded official documentation to verify those approvals.
Sonko also confirmed that the Brikama Area Council received interest-free loans from Jah Oil: D2 million in 2019 and D2.5 million in 2022. He said the first loan agreement was signed by him and the second by the CEO. He explained that the loans were not brought to the council for approval because they were interest-free.
In addition, the BAC took out a D7 million loan from Eco Bank. Sonko said the matter was discussed at council level and that it received approval from the Ministry. But when pressed by the Commission to explain the purpose of the loan, he said the CEO informed him it was for a fixed deposit, though he could not elaborate further.
The Commission has instructed Sonko to produce documentary evidence to support various claims made during his testimony, including the Contracts Committee minutes, approvals for staff salary increments, and all loan agreements entered into during his tenure.
