On the third day of his testimony before the Local Government Commission of Inquiry, Talib Ahmed Bensouda, the mayor of the Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC), presented a series of documents detailing grants, council decisions, and personnel matters spanning from 2018 to 2022. The hearing on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, continued the commission’s sweeping probe into the financial and administrative activities of local councils, an exercise aimed at strengthening transparency and accountability.
Mayor Bensouda told the inquiry that some documents had been located while others were still being searched. “Some of the documents are here. Others are being searched. I will start with the circumstances surrounding the bottle crusher,” he said at the start of his testimony.
He proceeded to submit files on grants KMC had received between 2018 and 2022, the circumstances surrounding the change of the council’s lawyer, the validation of the human resource audit report, and the validation of councillors’ loans. “I have two pieces. I will leave it to Madam Chair whether to submit or not,” he said.
One set of records, he explained, related to nominated councillors. “I have part documents. The list is here. However, the appointment letters are being searched. And also the advertisement the council made on the newspaper asking those interested to be a nominated councillor to forward their nomination. So if you can allow, I can submit the list and then while we search for the other documents.”
Another set of papers concerned the council’s financial thresholds. “The other one I have is the bunch of documents relating to the council’s thresholds. We have part, but we are still searching for other relevant documents. If you permit, I can also submit that,” he said.
Lead Counsel Patrick Gomez, who questioned the witness, applied to have the documents turned in as exhibits. They included a memo dated January 22, 2020, from the chairman of the Establishment and Appointment Committee to the Lord Mayor, with the Acting CEO copied. The subject was “Establishment and Appointment Committee” and it was signed by Habib M. El-Sisi. Attached to the memo was the KMC councillor loan policy.
Other documents entered into evidence included:
- A March 14, 2019 memo from the clerk of council, Ousmane Gay, to the CEO, copied to the mayor, with the subject “Validation of the HR Audit Report.” It bore the signatures of Gay and Mayor Bensouda.
- A January 24, 2019 referral letter titled “Change of Lawyer” and signed by Ahmed Ben Souda and Co., Legal Practitioners.
- A May 14, 2018 letter, also from Ahmed Ben Souda and Co., terminating the council’s retainer agreement. “It’s a photocopy, Lord Mayor. You don’t have the original of this one?” the counsel asked. “These are copies I could get because of the short time, but I can try and find the original,” Bensouda replied.
The commission also admitted council meeting minutes, including one dated February 14, 2019, inviting councillors to a general meeting at 10:30 a.m., signed by Clerk of Council Usman Gay. Additional memos, resolutions, and finance committee minutes from 2018 and 2019 were submitted.
The inquiry reviewed a list of grants endorsed by the KMC finance manager, Bakary Diba. “Is this the entire list of grants from 2018 to 2023, sir?” counsel asked. “According to the administration, yes,” Bensouda replied.
The list detailed at least eight major grants, including:
- €50,000 from UNDP for a feasibility study on the closure of the Bakoteh dumpsite.
- €2,369 for a project on sustainable waste management in the Greater Banjul metropolitan area.
- €10,160 from the British High Commission for a solar-powered cold storage project.
- €768,684 from SOS Children’s Village Worldwide and German partners for waste management to reduce child rights violations at Bakoteh dumpsite.
- €92,262 from the European Union for climate resilience through biodegradable waste management.
- €84,127 from UNDP, UNICEF, UNFPA, ITC, and UNRCO for rehabilitation at Botanical Park.
- €3.1 million from the European Union for the Kanifing Environmental Transformation Program.
- $30 million from the Fund for Innovation in Development for property tax collection and waste management improvements.
The hearing also revisited issues surrounding nominated councillors. “The councillors that are nominated, we found a list. Now the councillors nominated were advertised, sorry, the post was advertised, this advertisement is what we are trying to trace. And that’s where respondents from the Federation of Disabled and the KMYC responded with their nominees. We are trying to find those letters. And also our letter to the Ministry requesting for their nomination and approval. So we are trying to find that file, that dossier,” Bensouda said.
At one point, Lead Counsel Gomez remarked on the mayor’s handwriting while reviewing a memo. “Mr. Bensouda, I struggle to read your handwritings. I thought I have the worst handwriting. I still think I have the worst handwriting,” he joked, drawing brief laughter in the chamber.
By the close of the session, dozens of documents — including finance committee reports, HR audit validations, council meeting minutes, memos from the Establishment and Appointment Committee, and accounting policy manuals — had been admitted into evidence. As the testimony ended, Bensouda was pressed on one outstanding issue. “Mr. Bensouda, do you have the report?” the counsel asked, referring to the HR audit validation.
The inquiry continues
