By Makutu Manneh
Dembo Gikineh, a messenger and fuel supplier at the Janjanbureh Area Council (JAC) has appeared before members of the Local Government Commission of Inquiry to testify on the council’s petroleum supplies.
Mr. Gikineh told Commissioners that he started working at the Council in 1994 as a messenger, but was officially employed in 1995 on Grade 1 salary, adding that after working for Council for over ten years, his salary was upgraded to Grade three and recently in 2021, his salary was upgraded to Grade 4.
Gikineh said he has a business called Dembo Gikineh Enterprise which he established in 2004. He added that in 2006, he had a contract with JAC to supply them fuel. He said in order to secure a two year contract of fuel supply to the council; he had to register his business in 2021 at GPPA. However, he told Commissioners that he was informed by the Council that his contract was granted, but he has not seen or signed any document to that effect.
“I did not sign any contract document but I was informed by the Council that a contract was developed,” he said.
He said the Council normally buy fuel from petrol stations and when they are sort with money, that is the time they will come to borrow fuel from him.
Gikineh said JAC has taken a lot of fuel from him and that even when they pay him all his arrears, they will come back to him to buy fuel and for him to start supplying them again.
“I have seen a lot of Government vehicles coming into the Council to take fuel. I have seen them, but I do not know the arrangement they made in order to get fuel and from where,” the witness said.
“It is only the staff of Janjanbureh Area Council who will come to me and I will supply them with the fuel they have requested.”
He testified that the Area Council used to take fuel to give to Government vehicles and said these are instances when Government vehicles are on trek in the area and their fuel gets exhausted.
On how the Council takes fuel from him, Gikineh said there is a document that the CEO, director of finance and the procurement officer signed and provided him to supply them fuel, and said JAC gave him a fifty thousand Dalasi loan to pay within two months, in order to repair his roof which was destroyed by strong summer winds. He explained that the payment plan for this loan was for two instalments.
“I paid D25, 000 on the first instalment and D27,000 in the second instalment. The D2,000 added was the interest of the loan,” the witness said.
The payment of a trade license by the witness to JAC and receipts for the said payment together with income tax receipts paid to the Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA) dated 29 February 2020, and a GRA receipt acknowledging payment and dated August 2021, were all tendered and admitted as evidence.
“The Council used to bring the same document signed by the CEO, Finance Director and the Procurement Officer to get fuel for Government vehicles,” he said. He further disclosed that his fuel store was originally situated at the riverside, but said before he began storing fuel at home; he sought clearance and received a document from the Gambia Fire and Rescue S6ervice (GFRS). He said he has built a structure for storing fuel which has enough ventilation.
At this juncture, the inspection report by GFRS was tendered and admitted as evidence by the Commission.
On how he was paid by the Council, the witness said JAC used to make advance payments before taking fuel from him, but said as time went on, they began taking fuel on credit and this is what they still continue to do.
“I supply them fuel on credit and they do not make full payment at the time of payment. I supply them even though they do not make full payment,” the witness said.
At this juncture, the witness was reminded by Lead Counsel Yaharr Cox, that he made three withdrawals on 31st August 2022, amounting to one hundred and forty five thousand Dalasi (D145,000). To be specific, the withdrawals were Fifty Thousand Dalasi (D50,000); Fifty Thousand Dalasi (D50,000) and Forty-Five Thousand Dalasi (D45,000), all on the same day of 31st August 2022. In his response, the witness said he never made such withdrawals.
Sitting continues.
