By Makutu Manneh
Samba M.K. Leigh, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Janjanbureh Area Council (JAC) has admitted before Commissioners of the Local Government Commission of Inquiry that he authorized revenue collectors to make payments from monies collected before saving it at the bank.
“I used to give them the authority to do it. The payments they made included sitting and night allowances, purchase of fuel and cash power among others,” he said.
When Lead Counsel Yaharr Cox told him that he knew these are against the financial manual, the witness replied in the positive.
Leigh said he began working at Janjanbureh Area Council in 1983, as a revenue collector, adding that in 2012, he was promoted to the position of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Mansakonko Area Council, but was moved back to Janjanureh Area Council in 2016 where he has been until 2021, when he was moved to Kerewan Area Council. In July 2023, he was redeployed to Janjanbureh Area Council.
The witness told Commissioners that he withdrew the following amounts from JAC’s Trust Bank account; namely, four hundred and seventy-two thousand Dalasi D472,000), one million, eight hundred and seventy-four thousand, two hundred and sixty-eight Dalasi, twenty-eight butut (D1,874,268.28), and three hundred and eight thousand Dalasi (D385,000), and told Commissioners that the withdrawals were for salary payments and other recurrent expenses of the Council.
The witness said the Trust Bank account was specifically for development, but sometimes when they face financial challenges, they withdraw from the account to cover those expenses. He explained that the withdrawals from the Trust Bank account were for development expenses such as payments to contractors.
On the issue of Ebrima Janko Sanneh, a former Chairperson of the JAC who in 2018 withdrew D8,000, D3,000 and D15,000 from the Trust Bank Account.
Counsel Cox asked him why would the chairperson be withdrawing from the council’s development account. In response, he said they used to issue cheques to the chairperson on his return from Kombo, so that he can buy fuel.
“You give him D8,000 to buy fuel,” Counsel Cox said.
The witness replied: “Yes and also other stationary.”
Counsel Cox asked the witness again: “You send your chairperson. He was asked to explain what happened to the procurement officer.
Mr Leigh said they do not send the chairperson directly but on his return from Kombo, they do give him the money to buy stationary for them. He said D15,000 was given to the Chairperson to facilitate the transportation of books from Kombo to Janjanbureh, adding that the books were for Armitage Senior Secondary School. However, he could not provide the details for the D8,000 and D3,000 given to the chairperson, but said it could be for the purchase of fuel.
The witness said he also withdrew two hundred and fifty thousand Dalasi (D250,000) from the Trust Bank account, but could not remember the purpose of the withdrawal. He said he also withdrew nine thousand, five hundred and thirty-one Dalasi (D9,531), five thousand Dalasi (D5,000), and twenty thousand Dalasi (D20,000) respectively for the purchase of fuel.
“Why do you as the CEO, withdraw monies from this account?” Counsel Yaharr Cox asked the witness.
The witness did not respond to the question, but said the only two people who withdrew money were him and the director of finance.
He was told that the statement was not accurate because Lamin Baldeh, an employee of the Council withdrew two hundred and thirty-eight thousand, and eighty-nine Dalasi ninety-two Butut (D238,089.92).
Sitting continues.
