By: Kebba AF Touray
The Finance and Public Accounts Committee of the Assembly has said that the alleged fraud case of GCCPC staff using fuel coupons and payments was not reported to the National Audit Office, Ministry of Finance, and Inspector General of Police.
The committee’s Chairperson, Hon. Alhagie S Darboe, made this revelation while laying the report on the 2019 accounts of the government, COVID-19 Phase Two report, Financial Statements of Agencies, Institutions, Municipalities, and Area Council.
He said, “The committee observed that an amount of D43,011 due to the commission in relation to an ex-staff loan since 2020 has not been paid and no evidence was shown for the payment of the said amount. The case of a staff who defrauded GCCPC using fuel coupons and payments made was not reported to NAO, Ministry of Finance, and IGP”.
As reported by Hon. Darboe, the Gambia Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (GCCPC) presented its annual Activity Reports and audited Financial Statements for the years ended 31st December 2018 to 31st December 2021.
He said that the committee also observed that the allowances paid to certain staff were not captured in the approved service rule, and the land allocated to GCCPC has not been developed since 2012, birth certificates to confirm that the dependents are biological children were not in the personnel files of employees.
He said that FPAC further observed that the medical cards of some staff who left during the year under review 2020- 2021 were not provided, as well as cash certificates as of 31st December 2020 and 31st December 2021 respectively were not provided for review, adding that certain items supplied to the commission by UNDP and MOTIE are not recognized in the financial statements.
He said that FPAC thus recommended that NPF7B forms should be filled and submitted to the pension authorities to ensure there is full compliance with the documentation as required.
FPAC Chair continued “Management should look into developing the land allocated to follow the offer letter from the ministry of land and avoid never ending rental expenses. Management should ensure that birth certificates are obtained for all staff to ensure all dependents using the medical scheme are biological children of the employees”.
He said that the committee also recommended that all medical cards of the staff leaving should be handed over to the commission, and management should ensure year-end cash counts are conducted and certificates issued and signed by a witness which acts as supporting documents to confirm that the reported cash in the financial statement existed at the reporting date.
He added: “FPAC recommended that all assets in use by the commission that meets the criteria of a Capital grant should be disclosed. Management should ensure such Assets in use by the commission that meets the criteria of a capital Grant scheme should be disclosed in line with the recommended accounting standard on capital grants. Management should ensure that the monies involved in the fraud case concerning fuel coupons should be fully recovered immediately”.
