By Makutu Manneh
The Local Government Commission of Inquiry has revealed significant discrepancies in the handling of pre-finance payments for canteen construction at Latrikunda Sabiji Market, with conflicting testimonies from key officials.
Modou Njie, KMC Market Manager, testified that the council’s planning department and market subcommittee authorized him to receive payments from vendors to fund the construction of 86 market canteens. However, Lamin Jammeh, Chairperson of KMC’s Market Committee and Councillor of Bakoteh Ward, refuted this claim, stating that neither he nor the council authorized Njie to collect any funds.
“I was not aware that payments were being made to Modou Njie by the vendors,” said Jammeh, adding that the market committee had no involvement in the process of awarding the construction contract. According to Jammeh, he understood that the vendors had approached KMC’s Planning Unit independently to find a contractor after receiving council approval to pre-finance the canteens on an open market space.
Lead Counsel Patrick Gomez pressed Jammeh on whether any oversight mechanisms, such as audits, had been established for Njie’s collection of funds. Jammeh maintained that he was unaware of Njie’s involvement in handling cash payments from vendors.
In a broader inquiry into the council’s market finances, Jammeh was questioned about an internal audit’s findings of mismanaged funds and ticket irregularities in several KMC markets, including Latrikunda and Serrekunda. Among the findings, D380,000 was reported missing from ticket sales in 2020. Jammeh claimed these details were unfamiliar, asserting that the Finance Committee, not the Market Committee, was responsible for investigating discrepancies in ticket sales.
“You are responsible for the markets. Your committee should know what happens in the markets on a daily basis,” emphasized Lead Counsel Gomez.
“Yes,” Jammeh acknowledged, yet stated he was unaware of the ticket book losses and other irregularities. When asked about specific financial arrears amounting to over D1.3 million from the canteens in 2020, he expressed surprise, stating, “These are news to me.”
The inquiry further exposed systematic risks posed by surplus ticket book supplies to several markets. According to audit findings, excess supplies of ticket books in Latrikunda, Serrekunda, Ebo Town, Abuko, Bakau, Old Jeshwang, and Marche Ngelew created opportunities for revenue suppression, as market collectors were found with more tickets than required, potentially diverting funds from council revenue.
Lead Counsel Gomez noted the gravity of these findings, reading portions of the audit report aloud: “It is a high level of exposing public funds to fraud.”
Jammeh echoed the counsel’s concern, stating, “It is serious,” but deflected responsibility to the council’s Accounts Committee, criticizing them for failing to bring these issues to the Market Committee’s attention. When Gomez highlighted the extent of the alleged fraud, Jammeh admitted, “Sure,” that he was startled by the audit findings.
As the inquiry proceeds, the commission continues to scrutinize KMC’s financial oversight in market operations, to establish accountability for handling public funds and safeguarding against further revenue mismanagement.
